


Forgetting You

by Moment4Life



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, M/M, Occasional Percabeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-02-09 06:06:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 302,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1971753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moment4Life/pseuds/Moment4Life
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo never meant to sleep with Percy Jackson, it just kinda...happened. Percy never meant to hurt Nico, just as Jason Grace never meant to grow so close to son of Hades.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Should Be Outlawed, What You Can Do to Me

**Author's Note:**

> My first story on this site. [:  
> It's been on my mind for a while, so yeah.  
> Suggestions are appreciated. Praise for the story is loved. Criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy. [:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico never meant to sleep with Percy, it just kinda...happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first story, on this site at least. [:  
> It's been on my mind for a while, so yeah.  
> Chapter titles are lyrics from "The Dark Side" by Trevor Moran; all credit to him.  
> I do not own Percy Jackson & the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus; all credit to Rick Riordan.  
> Suggestions are appreciated. Praise for the story is loved. Criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy. [:
> 
> \---
> 
> Okay, hi, hello, to all you first time readers and rereaders. I'm updating this note as of May 5, 2016, just to say that the these earlier chapters are in the process of being revised. I recently read through some of my earlier chapters, and they kinda made me cringe, and being that I've always meant to come back through and fix a few things, I figured there was no better time than now. [ :  
> So! That being said, if you have any suggestions or concerns about how I should edit the chapters, feel free to give me your input! Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome. If you'd like to give me some input, feel free to leave me a comment here, or email me at moment4life.ao3@outlook.com, or check me out on tumblr at moment-for-life.tumblr.com. I'd love to hear from you, and I will be leaving little notices at the beginning and end of each chapter to let you all know whether or not the chapter has been revised yet. Thanks for your support!  
> Now enjoy the story, lovelies. [ ;

Nico di Angelo slipped out of Cabin 3 silently just as the sun began making its way into the sky. He glanced around warily, almost hyperaware of his surroundings, and quickly began trekking back to Cabin 13 before he was caught by the patrol harpies. As he reached his cabin, he glanced over his shoulder making sure no one had seen him before he slid inside of the lodging that was his own. Nico closed the door softly behind him and made his way to his bunk, biting down on his lower lip before sliding out of his soiled clothing and thinking back to the events of the night and into the early morning.

  
He didn’t mean for it to happen. Honestly. All he wanted to do was play some video games, watch a few movies on the confidential television the camper had hidden away, and maybe even chat a little. He didn’t think he would end up sleeping with Percy Jackson. Nico flinched at the thought, dropping his dirty clothes haphazardly to the floor as he headed to the bathroom. It wasn’t that the sex was bad; it was pretty fucking great actually. It was the fact that Percy was still dating Annabeth and they were the power couple of the camp. Every other couple at camp aspired to be them; even kids from the Aphrodite cabin yearned for a love like that. And the last thing the son of Poseidon needed was a mistress to ruin their picture perfect relationship. Or a mister. Himtress, maybe? Ah, or even misteress. Whatever.

  
Nico shivered ever so slightly as a cool breeze drifted through his cabin, cascading over his bare body. He stepped into the bathroom, sparing his reflection a glance, and even did a double take as he focused on his face. His pale skin had started to look a little less ghastly since he had started spending a little less time in the underworld. But that wasn’t what had caught his attention. His full lips had taken on a dark pink tint and were currently kiss swollen. Nico groaned irritably, poking at the smooth skin. Great. Now the whole camp would know he had gotten laid. He ran his tongue over his lips slowly, the lingering taste of sea salt still fresh on his lips. Wait. But something else was different. Nico turned his head slightly and froze. There, littering his pale skin, were multiple darkening hickies. He wouldn’t have minded them much, in fact, he would have actually preferred to have some evidence that his night with Percy wasn’t a dream. No, hickies were most definitely not a problem; the problem was the shape of the nips upon his neck. Even with a quick glance you’d be able to tell that the intentional love bites were in the distinct yet jagged shape of a “P”, starting on the right crook of his neck, and ending slightly above his collarbone. He trailed his fingers over the slowly bruising marks, intently watching himself in the mirror as he followed his own movements, and he found himself barely withholding a flinch as he applied pressure to a mark that was considerably darker than the others, faintly remembering how vigorously the son of Poseidon had placed the mark there.

  
Nico felt his face heat up as he growled dangerously. If the campers hadn’t noticed his unusually swollen lips, they were sure to notice the love bites.

  
He turned from the mirror, grumpily sliding back the black shower curtain and stepped into the one of many showers that Chiron demanded he include in his cabin, meant for the other siblings he didn’t have—except for Hazel of course. The son of Hades yelped as he turned on the shower, a torrent of cold water rushing over his bare body before he adjusted the water temperature then shifted back, letting his head fall to the cool cream colored tile as he let the warm water spill over him, eventually steaming up the contained space.

  
Nico slowly washed all the grime off of his body—leaving his pale skin a light pink color from all of the diligent cleaning he was doing—and scrubbed the smell of ocean out of his raven hair before he deemed himself as clean. He stepped out of the shower, snatching a towel from a rack before stepping out of the steam hazed room. Nico cringed as all thoughts and regrets of his actions flooded him, bringing forth a dominate emotion over the rest; guilt. See, Nico had nothing against Annabeth, except for the fact that she had what he wanted the most. Other than that, she was a pretty cool person, a little annoying to be around at times, but tolerable. That was one of the many reasons he had felt so guilty. She didn’t deserve to be cheated on; she’d been the perfect girlfriend to Percy, except maybe that she wasn’t putting out as often—or _at all_ —as the son of the sea god would have liked.

  
His thoughts were interrupted as a loud knock sounded from the other side of the door. Nico cursed quietly, yanking on his clothes as quickly as possible before going to answer the door. He pulled the door open slowly, immediately greeted by Jason Grace’s bright smile that lightened his sky blue eyes, making it seems as if a tendril of lightning sparked in each of his irises. “Morning!”

  
Nico grimaced at the overly-chipper greeting that had come from the teen at his door. “What do you want?” he grumbled, running a hand through his still wet hair.

  
“It’s seven fifty, breakfast is in ten minutes.”

  
“I’m not hungry.” Nico scowled to himself as he realized he had spent over an hour in the shower. Frowning, the younger teen moved to close the door.

  
Jason’s hand shot out, stopping the door as a determined look crossed over his sculpted features. “Yeah, I honestly don’t care. You’re coming to breakfast.”

  
Nico gave the blonde in incredulous look as a single brow rose and inched its way up his forehead, “And exactly who do you think you are to me tell what I’m going to do?"

  
“I’m your friend.”

  
Nico stared a Jason a moment before rolling his eyes. Apparently the older teen was serious. He had never meant to become acquainted with the boy standing before him. But it was quite hard not to do so when he was the only one who knew his biggest secret and had yet to utter a word of it to a single soul. As a result of this, Jason had evidently come to believe they were friends. “Seriously, Grace, I’m not hungry. You can go on—.”

  
“How much do you weigh, Nico?”

  
The boy in question eyed Jason curiously. “Uh, I don’t know, but—.”

  
Jason’s hand shot out, grasping Nico’s forearm in a firm grip as he inspected the limb. “I’d say about 109, 110, if you’re lucky. And you’re sixteen soon to be seventeen, yes?”

  
The son of Hades nodded slowly watching as Jason’s golden brows rose as he dropped Nico’s appendage back to its place by his side. “If you’d ask me,” the blonde teen started, “I’d say you need all the food your skinny ass could get.”

  
Nico had to stop himself from letting his jaw slacken at the words. “So, I’ll say this again: It’s probably about seven fifty-five now—five minutes until breakfast. I strongly advise you to come along and get breakfast with me, whether you’re hungry or not.”

  
Nico nearly glanced down at his body self consciously at the recommendation. He knew he was pretty damn skinny, but he didn’t think he was _that_ skinny. By the time he drew himself from his thoughts, the “Golden Boy” was halfway down the path that led to and from his cabin. “You coming?” the blonde called over his shoulder.

  
The younger of the two sighed heavily. He might as well; it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do than sulk in the dim lighting of his cabin. Nico stepped out of his cabin, letting the door swing shut behind him as he casually walked over to where his supposed “friend” was standing. “Let’s just get this over with,” he grumbled as he caught up with Jason.

  
“What a wonderful attitude for such a lovely day,” the taller teen snorted.

  
Nico ignored that, as he focused on kicking up rocks on their way to the dining pavilion. The duo arrived at the hall, their relatively comfortable silence, penetrated by the excited chatter permeating the pavilion. “I’ll see you after breakfast,” Jason assured the raven haired boy as he made his way over to the Aphrodite table to greet his girlfriend, Piper McLean, before Chiron and Mr. D arrived.

  
Nico sighed inwardly as he shuffled from the entrance of the pavilion to his lone table, the campers, almost seemingly repelled by his presence, moved out of his way before he even came within ten feet of them. A few of the campers casted distrustful glances in his direction, even going as far as to tense and even reach for their weapons. Nico smiled bitterly as he slid into the seat of his table, his gaze fixated on the fissure he had made in the floor of the pavilion years ago. His gaze was torn from the fissure by a loud, familiar laugh.

  
Slowly, Nico turned in the direction in which the laugh originated. His heart flew into his throat and his stomach dropped to his feet simultaneously at the sight that awaited him. Percy was settled atop the Athena table, his girlfriend nestled comfortably in his arms, her slender legs draped across his thighs. Annabeth placed her fingers on Percy’s chin, turning his face in her direction. Percy gave her a small smile as she carefully draped her arms over his shoulders, clasping her hands together behind his neck where she then ran her fingers through the shorter strands of Percy’s dark hair. Nico noticed the campers at the Aphrodite cabin staring at the couple wistfully as they closed the minute distance between their lips, the crowd around the two sighing softly. Nico jerked his away from the offending scene, his features twisting sourly. _I hope she like the taste of my dick_ , he thought angrily as he felt Chiron and Mr. D’s presence suddenly appear in the pavilion.

  
“Perry and Annabel, for the sake of your parents’ pride, please cease this…affronting display of affection,” Mr. D said, his voice dripping with languid disgust.

  
Percy and Annabeth separated, the former waiting for his girlfriend to slide her legs off of his lap before he hopped off of the table and began making his way towards his own table. “For the millionth time, Mr. D, it’s Percy; it hasn’t changed since you first met me.”

  
“Your name is whatever I call you, disrespectful boy,” Dionysus snapped disinterestedly, a goblet appearing between his fingers, undoubtedly filled with his _second_ usual choice of beverage, diet coke.

  
The son of Poseidon gave the god of wine a mocking salute as he slid into his seat, a few of the campers snickering at the action. Mr. D continued to glare at Percy as about two dozen nymphs came from the kitchens, bearing an assortment of food. A few nymphs approached Nico warily, holding their platters before them and letting him pick out his food. The son of Hades ignored their nervous glances as he took a plate with a lone piece of toast, grabbing a single piece of bacon and half of a pomegranate before motioning that the nymphs could move on.

  
Nico lifted the pomegranate off of his plate, inspecting it carefully before he tore the fruit in half in order to easily get to the sweet seeds on the inside. In the process, a few of the juice bearing seeds split, the violet red juice running down the wrist of his right hand. With the fruit still in his grasp, the teen moved forward, unconsciously latching his lips to his forearm and running his tongue over the juices, until he paused, a shiver running up his spine as he felt someone staring at him. His eyes lifted, and immediately found a sea green gaze focused on his own deep brown. He completely froze, his face heating, and he was absolutely sure he was blushing. No one should be allowed to stare at someone the way Percy was staring at him outside of the bedroom. It should be illegal. Nico quickly sucked his tongue into his mouth and removed his lips from his own skin with a soft “pop”. Percy followed his actions almost obsessively, his bright eyes beginning to cloud with lust. Nervously, Nico tore his eyes from Percy’s; though he could still feel the older teens gaze on him.

  
Glancing around the hall, he watched as a nymph came close enough to him that he caught his reflection in the empty silver platter she held at her side. He immediately took a sharp intake of breath, sucking his lower lip into his mouth and planting his teeth firmly on the skin. He lifted his left hand—the hand that remained unstained from the fruit—and swiped the back of it quickly across his lips, that were ever so slightly swollen and stained with the juice of the pomegranate, releasing his lower lip from his teeth in the process. He glanced up as he was doing so to see that Percy was still watching him from his table in the pavilion. He felt his face heat increasingly until he was sure he looked like a tomato. He shifted self consciously as he dropped his pomegranate back to his plate, a few seeds dislodging themselves from the fruit. He glanced back up at Percy, the older teen’s full lips shifting into a sly, yet sexy smirk, the mischievous glint in his eyes promising all sorts of wonderful yet forbidden things that were to come undoubtedly much later in the evening, and probably into the early morn of the next day.

  
Nico swallowed the lump in his throat as he felt his whole body begin to heat to the temperature of his face as a camper called out the son of Poseidon’s name and Percy reluctantly shifted his line of sight to Drew Tanaka, a gorgeous daughter of Aphrodite, with her dark locks cascading over her shoulders and down her back, and stopping a few inches above her shapely hips. Nico hated to admit it, but she even made the gaudy Camp Half-Blood t-shirts look good. Drew flipped her curls over her shoulder, shamelessly and quite _obviously_ flirting with the son of the sea god. Percy nodded his head, appearing interested in whatever shit she was saying—as that girl had a tendency to spew the most provocative nonsense just to get a rise, mainly in the lower region, out of someone—until you looked at his eyes, which were full of evident disdain of the girl before him.

  
The campers immediately silenced as Chiron cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the pavilion, except for Mr. D, who continued to sip from his goblet as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “As you all have known for quite some time now, today we will be playing a game of Capture the Flag.”

  
The centaur patiently waited as the campers broke out in cheers, then quieted down at the pointed look Chiron was giving. “Thank you. I will remind you of the rules; combat gear is required, no intentional maiming,” the Ares cabin groaned, “all magical items are permitted and the teams will be as listed—.”

  
Nico completely spaced out until the last few words of the list were spoken. “—the Athena cabin, and lastly, the Hades cabin.”

  
A few campers turned in Nico’s direction their stares fixated on him as he shrugged a single shoulder lazily, appearing as if he had been listening all along. “Alright, everyone is dismissed; onto the next activity of the day. Oh, yes, and those of you participating in sword and shield with Clarisse, remember that combat gear is required!” Chiron spoke over the bustle of the campers filing out of the pavilion, “Leo Valdez, don’t think I can’t see you; report to the kitchens for cleaning duty immediately.”

  
The curly haired Hispanic boy—who reminded Nico so much as a little Latino elf—groaned loudly, causing his siblings of the Hephaestus to chuckle and nudge him over to the kitchens good naturedly. Nico slid from his seat as a nymph whisked his untouched dishes from before him, but not before he could snatch the pomegranate from the plate and toss half of the fruit into the fire and utter a sacrifice to his father and his stepmother, though the former of the two wasn’t very fond of his son. Nico hoped Persephone would understand the offering of the pomegranate of was only a joke, and would not become offended by the fruit offering.

  
Nico turned from the fire and caught a glimpse of Percy walking off with his girlfriend once again nestled under his arm. Nico’s breath caught as Percy looked over his shoulder at him, flashing a devious wink before turning forward once more. “Hey, Nico, you okay?”

  
Nico turned to see Jason approaching him, surprisingly without Piper by his side. The son of Hades nodded zealously as Jason stepped closer and pressed the back on one of his hands to the younger teen’s forehead. “Are you sure? You look a little feverish and your face is all flushed.”

  
Nico jerked his head from Jason’s hand. “I’m fine,” he grumbled as he plucked a few seeds from the fruit in his hands and popped them into his mouth, sighed as a bit of the juice ran down from his chin and to his neck, then to the inside of his t-shirt.

  
The raven haired teen popped a few more seeds into his mouth, tossing the remainder of the fruit into the fire and murmuring an offering to the goddess Hestia. He quickly wiped his juice stained hands on his black jeans before pulling on the collar of his t-shirt to wipe the juice from the inside of his shirt. He immediately paused as he heard Jason’s sharp intake of breath. “Are those…what I think they are?” he asked, motioning to the bruises littering Nico’s skin.

  
“No,” Nico blurted, “They’re not whatever you think they are.” He pressed the fabric of his shirt to his skin to the hide the love bites and as Jason lips stretched into a shit eating grin.

  
“They are, aren’t they?!”

  
Nico sputtered, trying to grasp onto words that seemed to elude his grasp for the time being. Jason bumped his own shoulder into younger teens. “Nico, you sly dog, you! It’s even in the shape of a letter! What’s that, a…’B’?”

  
“No, no! It’s not what you think! I-I slept really weird last night, and I’m pretty sure I bumped into a few things in my sleep…”

  
Jason’s brows rose with every word Nico stuttered out. “Uh huh, and where are the other bruises?”

  
Nico swallowed heavily. “Ah, there were none…?”

  
“And that’s the story you’re sticking to?”

  
Nico attempted to school his expression as he nodded feverishly. The grin on Jason’s face remained as he ushered a dumbfounded son of Hades from the dining pavilion and towards the lake, where they had their first activity of the day. “You got laid!” Jason exclaimed, causing a few campers to turn in their direction.

  
“Shut up, Grace! Stop being so damn loud,” Nico growled as the lake came into view and he finally regained his cool composure.

  
“Sorry. You got laid!” he hissed, excitedly.

  
Nico glanced at him dispassionately, “One would think with the enthusiasm you’re sporting that _you’re_ the one who got laid.”

  
The shit eating grin returned to the son of Jupiter’s face, “So you admit it?! You _did_ get laid!”

  
Nico cursed inwardly at his slip up, but otherwise remained collected on the outside. “It was hypothetical, of course.”

  
Jason let out an enormous huff of air, the grin slipping from his features, and causing the corners of Nico’s lips to twitch as he settled himself on the grass in front of a relatively large tree and leaned back against rough bark of the trunk, relaxing in the shade the healthy, green leaves provided a safe distance from the shore of the lake, but close enough that the clean, fresh smell of lake water still bombarded his senses creating a serene environment; well, a _would be_ serene environment if a certain son of the king of the gods wasn't there nagging him. Jason plopped down on the ground next to Nico. “C’mon man! Give me something to work with here!”

  
Nico closed his eyes, smiling to himself, “I told you, I’m a relatively fitful sleeper; I get used to waking up with bruises on my skin. I’ve learned not to question it because the answer is always quite obvious.”

  
“Hey, Pipes!”

  
Nico’s eyes snapped open at the name. “Can you c’mere for a second, I have a question to ask you.”

 

“Don’t you dare call her over here for that, Jason!” Nico hissed as the girl in question approached.

  
“Oh, Nico, Nico, Nico; you could have made this easy on yourself, but you just had to be difficult. It’s your own fault I had to bring in the 'love expert'.”

  
“You rang?” Piper asked, smiling down at Jason affectionately, then flashing a nervous smile at Nico, her kaleidoscope eyes shifting warily.

  
Nico rolled his eyes as he shifted uncomfortably and focused on drawing in the shadows around him. Ever since his little run in with Cupid, children of Aphrodite tended to make him very uneasy. “So, Nico here—.”

  
Piper glanced around anxiously at the shadows growing nearer, darker, and more solid with every second that passed. “What the heck is up with all of these shadows?”

  
Jason’s head whipped to Nico’s direction, where shadows had extended, almost as if they were reaching out to the son of Hades. “Nico! You little—!”

  
Nico gave Jason his own shit eating grin as he vanished from the area completely, not missing the son of Jupiter’s string of curses as disappeared.

  
Moments later the teen reappeared at the door to his own cabin, as he pushed open the wooden entrance he grinned, taking a moment to study the interior of the place. Home sweet home. Others might think his cabin was a bit dreary, and even a bit on the dark side, but Nico didn’t care. It wasn’t as if he would ever invite anyone over for a house warming party. He made his cabin just the way he liked it, not bothering to consider anyone other than himself, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake. His sister, Hazel Levesque, though a child a Pluto—Hades’ Roman half—preferred bright and cheery surroundings.

  
Nico snorted at the thought, stepping into his lodgings and letting the door swing shut quietly behind him. Who would have thought a child of Pluto could be so…merry? Though the two were siblings, they were the complete opposite, even down to their looks. Hazel, with her bright, molten gold eyes, while Nico’s own were so deep a brown, they were often mistaken for black. While Hazel had healthy, mocha colored skin, Nico was stuck with his own alabaster pale skin tone, which made him look ethereal at times. Some of the campers even whispered that Hazel seemed to represent all of Hades’, or Pluto’s, good qualities, while Nico represented the bad.

  
The young teen shook his head of the depressing thoughts that promised nothing other than a day filled with sulking and self pity. He kicked off his well worn black Converses, and soon after toed off his socks as he lazily shuffled towards his bed in the far corner of the room. He fell face forward onto the mattress, a small “oomph” escaping his lips as he was slightly winded by the impact. He smiled to himself as he felt his lids grow heavy and allowed his eyes to shut, giving into the temptation of sleep immediately.

  
~*~

  
“Nico!”

  
The son of Hades jolted awake immediately, nearly rolling off of his bed. Instinctively, he reached for his Stygian iron sword as he tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes which was causing his vision to blur and making him unable to view the intruder in his cabin. “Hey, hey, chill. It’s me.”

  
Nico let his muscles relax at the familiar voice and dropped his head back to his pillow, the hand that had been searching for his weapon hanging over the side of the bed lazily. “What do you want?” he grumbled into his soft fabric of pillow.

  
“It’s seven o’clock; time for Capture the Flag. You missed dinner, but I brought you something.”

  
The younger teen lifted his head from his pillow as a mouth watering aroma invaded his senses. He immediately snatched the slice of pizza Jason was offering off of the plate and began to devour it like much like Tantalus would if he was ever released from his eternal punishment and was finally permitted to eat and drink. He finished the pizza in nearly three minutes, and by that time was searching for something else on the plate that he could eat. He stared at the remaining food on the porcelain platter, scowling at the offending sight before him. “Corn? Really, Jason? I told you I hate corn! I even told you why!”

  
Jason grinned, picking up the cob and holding it in front of Nico’s face, “C’mon, one bite won’t hurt!”

  
Nico stubbornly swatted the vegetable from in front of his face and slid off of the bed, making sure to land on his knees so he would have easy access to the contents underneath. “Whatcha lookin’ for?” Jason questioned, inviting himself to sit on Nico’s bed.

  
“My armor,” the younger teen grunted as he hit his head on the underside of the bed.

  
“You keep your armor in your room?”

  
“Yeah.”

  
“Why?”

  
“Because it’s mine.”

  
“So…?”

  
“If I keep it in the armory, other people will think that they have permission to use it. And they don’t; it’s mine.”

  
Nico heard Jason snort from his place on top of the bed. “I can only imagine what you were like in kindergarten if you’re acting like this now.”

  
Nico let a small smile grace his features for half a second before it fell as he pulled a pure black chest plate from beneath his bed, along with a fairly large black shield. He slid from underneath his bed, being careful not to bump his head this time around. He stood and slid on his chest plate, pausing to adjust the straps. He glanced towards Jason as he heard him whistle. “Well, I see why you would’t want to share. Lemme guess, tailor made in the Underworld?”

  
“However did you know?” Nico deadpanned.

  
“I’m just a genius,” Jason said, sprawling out on his bed.

  
“Hey! Off, get off of my bed right now,” the younger teen snapped his fingers to add emphasis to his words as he pulled on his black Converses, not bothering with socks.

  
“Why? Your bed is more comfy that I would have thought. Now I see why you stay cooped up in this place; I would too if my bed was like this.”

  
“I don’t want to wake up tomorrow covered in blonde hair," Nico pointed out, ignoring the older half-blood's last statement, "Up, Jason!”

  
“Fine,” the older teen groaned, sitting up and nearly jumping out of Nico’s bed.

  
Nic grabbed his sword from the floor beside his bed and looked at Jason. “Ready.”

  
“Good, we have about ten minutes to get over to the woods.”

  
The duo made their way to the door, then stepped out of the cabin and briskly made their way across camp. “What team are you on?” Jason inquired when they were halfway to the woods.

  
“I dunno. All I know is I’m on some team with the Athena cabin.”

  
“Damn, you’re on the opposing team; the red team.”

  
Nico shrugged as they finally made their way inside the forest, each teen spotting their teams. “See ya!” Jason called over his shoulder, jogging over to the blue team that included some of the best cabins; including Cabin 3, none other than the Poseidon cabin.

  
Nico made his way over to his own team, thoroughly disappointed at what he saw. A few of the cabins on his team were the Aphrodite, Demeter, Iris, and a few other minor gods and goddesses. Their only hope on this team would be the Athena cabin with their amazing strategy skills. The team captain, Annabeth of course, took a look around the team, her eyes betraying the disappointment she felt at what lay before her. But of course she would never admit as much. “Okay guys, we have a good chance at winning this. Our flag is positioned in the midst of a small pile of boulders.”

  
“Zeus’ Fist?” a camper questioned.

  
“No, just a normal pile of boulders.”

  
She went on to explain everyone’s position and when her stormy eyes landed on Nico, they were filled with uncertainty. “Um, Nico, you’ll be positioned…here,” she said, pointing to a random spot on her makeshift map that was a little ways behind where their flag was positioned. Efficiently making sure it would look as if he were playing his part in the game, but in reality, he would be doing absolutely nothing.

  
“You’re on defense, okay?”

  
Nico rolled his eyes, shaking his head in annoyance. “Nico? I need you to answer me; this is your position. Don’t move from there, even if you see someone coming for the flag. The only time you move from your position is if someone comes for you as a distraction for another teammate to get the flag. Then, and only then, do you have permission to move from your post to fight off the distraction, okay?”

  
“And pray tell, what is it that I will be defending in my wonderful position? Trees?” he asked innocently, causing a few of the campers to turn their attention towards him.

  
Annabeth’s mouth flapped open and closed for a moment before one of her siblings—Liam—came to her rescue. “Just do what she says, Bones.”

  
A few campers snickered at that while Nico merely rose his brows at the boy, the look on his face promising retribution. “Whatever you say, captain,” Nico said bitterly, turning eyes filled with cool disdain on Annabeth, who immediately blanched and turned back to the map.

  
“Alright, everyone to your positions!”

  
Nico gave Annabeth one last cold glare before he gathered the shadows around himself and vanished, reappearing in his oh so wonderful position. He settled himself on a stray boulder setting down his shield and sword, and staring at the flag that was positioned a little over sixty feet away from him. He ignored Chiron as the centaur announced that the game was beginning, and instead placed his hand on the ground, drawing up the bones of a squirrel, making them scamper to and fro before he drew a few more animal bones from the ground.

  
By the time a camper of the opposing team came for the flag, Nico had his own little petting zoo of dead animal remains. He looked around, noticing that his teammates were too busy fighting off distractions or doing other aimless crap to notice the lone camper. He sighed in annoyance, flicking his wrist and giving his little army of dead animals a silent command to attack, but not harm the camper coming for the flag. The legion of the once live animals scurried forth until they were too small to be seen by the son of Hades. Just as the camper reached for the red flag, he heard her squeal in surprise and saw her simultaneously fall onto her backside, her screams of shock soon reaching his ears. A few of his teammates on defense turned to stare at him, shock written all over their features. The son of Hades ignored their stares, soon drawing up a lone skeleton to duel with Jason who was coming for the flag next.

  
When the son of Jupiter was stopped halfway to the flag by a dead soldier, a surprised yet knowing laugh spilled from his lips. Nico hid a smile as Jason called out, “Nice one, Ghost King!”

  
Soon after, Annabeth came tearing into view, holding the opposing team’s flag, but was flanked by a few of campers of the opposite team. Nico shook his head, annoyed that he was having to save her ass, but he did it anyway. He called forth a few more dead soldiers, each intercepting the opposing team members and holding them off until Annabeth was finally in the safety zone. A cheer rang through the forest and finally Nico called off the legions of dead, their bones sinking into the ground where they belonged.  
Nico finally stood from the rock, stretching his arms over his head, his black tee riding up with his actions and flashing a bit of pale skin, while he greatly resembled a lazy feline. He began to make his way out of the forest with his shield and sword in hand, until he was bombarded from behind. Much to his surprise and great displeasure, the majority of his teammates were crowded around him their arms all strewn together in a group hug that they were attempting to include Nico in. “What the hell? Get _off_.”

  
He finally emerged from the clump of warm, sweaty bodies, his expression undoubtedly one of horror. Just when he thought it was over, Annabeth came running towards him, her arms outstretched. Before she could make contact, Nico once again gathered the shadows around himself and vanished, this time reappearing just out of her reach. He ran a hand through his raven colored locks, sweeping away few strands that had fallen into his eyes away. “Nico!” Annabeth exclaimed, settling for grinning at him like an idiot as her arms feel back to her sides, “They told me what you did that saved us a little over three times; you helped us win!”

  
“No thanks to you and your _wonderful_ battle strategies and positioning,” he snorted.

  
Her smile gradually slipped from her face and a look of stubborn determination replaced it. “My strategy is what won us this game.”

  
Nico scoffed, planting his sword in the ground and ignoring the animal bones that began to resurface. “Yes, your strategy that almost cost us the game. The opposing team almost got to the flag twice.”

  
“They wouldn’t have gotten past our defenses, they were too strong!”

  
“Too strong, hm, yes, I get you. Our too strong defenses that were too busy worried about their hair getting ruined because the humidity,” a few of the Aphrodite campers shifted uncomfortably, all except Piper who gave her siblings pointed looks. “Yes, our _too strong_ defenses that were straying over to the river to making fucking rainbows in the mist. If that’s what a strong defense is to you, I am seriously beginning to doubt that you’re a daughter of Athena.”

  
A collective gasp came from beyond Annabeth and behind himself. Annabeth’s eyes hardened and she took a step closer to Nico who remained calm with one arm propped on the hilt of his sword nonchalantly. “How dare you,” she hissed, “Who do you think you are to question my parentage?”

  
Nico stared at her blankly. “I’m guessing that’s a rhetorical question.”

  
Annabeth growled as she began to surge forward, her blonde ponytail whipping around as a few of her siblings reached out to stop her. “Nico, you are so lucky—.”

  
“Yawn. You done ranting yet? I do apologize, but next time you might want to try rambling to someone who actually has a few fucks to spare.”

  
“You—.”

  
“What the hell is going on over here?”

  
Nico didn’t need to turn to see who the voice belonged to. Percy stepped into view, eyeing him and Annabeth curiously. “What’s the deal, Wise Girl?”

  
Nico pulled his sword from the dirt, willing the animal bones back into the ground as he studied his blade, “You might want to reconsider that nickname due to her _unwise_ battle strategy.”

  
Percy turned to Nico, a single brow rising, “What do you mean? You guys won.”

  
“No thanks to her,” Nico nodded towards fuming blonde before him.

  
“Nico, has anyone ever told you how idiotic it is to criticize a child of Athena’s wisdom?”

  
“Has anyone ever told you that I don’t care?” Nico said, fixing a bored expression on his face.

  
“Don’t be such a asshole,” Percy snapped suddenly.

  
He didn’t understand why he was so hurt by Percy’s attitude. It was completely expected that the son of the sea god would stick up for his girlfriend. But that didn’t stop Nico’s heart from feeling as if it were being crushed. “An asshole…so, being honest is now asshole-ish?”

  
“It’s not honesty, it’s stupidity. Obviously your team won due to some kind of strategy that had to do with the one Annabeth came up with. You don’t have to be such a douchebag because you swooped in and saved the day a few times.”

  
Nico’s eyes hardened as Percy glared down at him while his heart continued to be squeezed painfully. “Hey, don’t talk to him like that,” Jason snapped defensively, stepping up next to Nico, “Annabeth stupidly had him positioned so far from the flag, it was as if he wasn’t even playing. He could have remained bitter and not helped at all, but he chose to do so. The red team would have lost twenty minutes into the game if it wasn’t for his dead animals and stuff.”

  
Percy shifted his glare to Jason, who met him head on with his own gaze. “All of that aside, there’s no reason for him to be such a pompous dick about winning!”

  
Jason opened his mouth to speak again, but Nico cut him off. “Your girlfriend’s battle strategy sucks. Period point blank,” he snapped, “I’m not being pompous about _shit_ ,I’m stating the obvious, don’t act as if you wouldn’t do the same thing if you were in my position. You know, I’m also beginning to question her choice in guys, being that she has such an ass for a boyfriend.”

  
Percy’s jaw dropped at his words, but Nico wasn’t done yet. “But what can I say, you two complement each other well; you know, whiny _bitch_ and an ass for the love of her life, it just goes together perfectly.”

  
Next thing he knew, he was sprawled out on his own ass, blood dripping from his nose. He brought a hand up to stop the deep red substance from dripping onto the forest floor, wincing as his hand brushed a bruise beginning to bloom on his right cheekbone from it being grazed weightily from the impact. He looked up to see a stunned Jason staring down at him, then looked up and straight ahead to see an even more stunned Percy standing with a clenched fist frozen before him. Percy immediately dropped his fist, all traces of anger vanishing from his features before they were replaced with sincere remorse. “Oh my gods, Nico,” Percy stuttered, “I-I-I’m _so_ sorry.”

  
Nico dropped his gaze, feeling the weighty stares of the campers who had watched the scene unfold. “What’s going on?” Chiron questioned, trotting into the circle of the surrounding campers.

  
Before anyone could utter a word, Nico latched his free hand onto Jason’s jean covered calf and quickly gathered the shadows around the both of them and disappeared along with his weapons. When he reemerged in Cabin 13, Jason jumped into action, lifting Nico’s shock frozen body from the floor and into the bathroom where he settled Nico atop a toilet with its lid closed. He didn’t even flinch when Jason brought forth a wad of tissues, placing them on his nose and tilting his head forward while pinching his nostrils as they waited for the bleeding to stop.

  
When the bleeding finally did cease, Jason tossed away the bloody tissues, grabbing a few more and wetting them to clean the dried blood from Nico’s face. This time Nico recoiled when Jason brushed the tip of his fingers over his right cheekbone. “Gods, Nico,” Jason muttered underneath his breath, reaching for the first aid kit on the wall.

Jason grabbed the instant ice pack, squeezing it until he felt it was cold enough, then tore some fabric from his own shirt to wrap around the pack so it wouldn’t be burningly cold again the younger teen’s skin. Nico remained still as Jason carefully pressed the ice pack to his bruised cheekbone, only wincing when the cold began numbing his skin.

  
After Jason deemed it safe to remove the ice pack for the time being, he lifted Nico up once more, this time settling him on his bed where he began to remove the younger teen’s armor. When he was finished, he slid the protective covering underneath the bed, then began removing Nico shoes. That’s when the boy's tears began to fall. Jason hadn’t noticed the silent tears until he was finished removing Nico’s shoes. He then kicked off his own shoes and slid in bed beside Nico, wrapping an arm around the boy’s less broad shoulders and leaning back against the headboard. And much to Jason’s surprise, Nico broke down.

  
His tears began to run faster as he blindly turned his body and cried into the warmth Jason’s chest provided, heart wrenching sobs working their way out of his throat. The tears stung his bruised cheekbone but he ignored that pain, choosing to focus on the one that was the source of his tears. Jason attempted to soothe the younger teen; running a hand through his locks and speaking soft reassurances to him, but soon the son of Jupiter realized the only thing Nico needed was silence. So he gave it to him.

  
~*~

  
Nico woke early in the morning of the next day. He lifted one of his heavy curtains slightly, realizing it was earlier in the morning than he originally thought. So why was he awake? His answer came on the other side of the door where soft knocking began anew. At the sound, Jason, who he hadn’t realized was still with him, opened his eyes slowly, not yet noticing that Nico was awake. On impulse, Nico closed his eyes, quickly settling back down in Jason’s embrace much like he had been in his sleep. He felt Jason studying his seemingly sleeping form before another round of knocks began. The bed dipped as Jason sat up, slowly sliding his arms from around Nico before he carefully slid out of bed and silently padded to the door. Nico lay quietly facing the wall and opened his eyes slowly, as he heard the door being opened. “What the hell do you want?” he heard Jason asking coldly, and shivered as if the words themselves held a chilled breeze.

  
“I, uh…I need to speak to Nico.”

  
It took him a moment to recognize the voice, but as soon as he did Nico was burrowing further underneath thick black comforter, his eyes beginning to burn with reluctant tears as he recalled the events of yesterday evening. He squeezed his eyes shut, not opening them again until he was sure no tears would escape. “You need to speak with Nico?” Jason asked with an uncertainty that Nico regarded as the calm before the storm.

  
“Yeah, is he here?”

  
“Go fuck yourself, asshole,” Nico heard Jason growl out before the door was slammed shut.

  
When Nico was sure Percy had left, he rolled onto his opposite side, turning to face a fuming Jason. Nico stared at him for a long moment before Jason realized that he was being watched and turned his attention to the younger teen. The son of Jupiter took in Nico’s dejected appearance; his sky blue eyes lingering on the bruise left on Nico’s cheekbone as he slowly approached the bed, much like one would approach a feral animal, and knelt down until he and Nico were face to face. “Are you okay?”

  
After a moment’s hesitation and seeing no reason to lie, Nico shook his head. “Do you want me to leave?” Jason murmured, brushing Nico’s hair out of his eyes in a way that was oddly comforting to the younger of the two.

  
Again, Nico shook his head. Jason nodded, understanding etched in his features. “Scoot,” he said softly, motioning for Nico to move over.

  
The son of Hades slid to the other side of the bed and rolled onto his other side where he was once again facing the wall. He felt the bed dip as Jason settled himself onto the mattress and underneath the covers. Nico pulled the dark comforter up to his nose where he held it in his clenched fist and before he knew it, he had let his guard down and the tears were slipping freely down his face once more. He assumed Jason had gone back to bed and not wanting to wake the older teen, he let the tears flow silently until he was quietly hiccupping through his salty tears. He felt movement beside him and froze, hurriedly trying to silence his miserable hiccups.

  
He peeked over his shoulder to see Jason watching him calmly yet worriedly, those clear eyes searching his own tear swollen ones. After a few moments off watching one another, Jason opened his arms, and after a few seconds of hesitation, Nico rolled over and into the waiting arms. Jason tightened his arms around the son of Hades as he felt the boy’s body begin to tremble with the force of his breathless hiccups. Nico buried his face in Jason’s t-shirt, undoubtedly soaking the fabric with his warm tear, though he didn’t care right at that moment. All he desperately wanted to do was to lose himself in the comfort of the arms surrounding him. Before he knew it, his was whimpering quite pitifully and his hands had released their death grip on the covers and instead were gripping Jason’s shirt so tightly, he was surprised it didn’t tear. “Nico, please. I don’t know what to do, tell me how help you,” Jason begged helplessly.

  
Nico shook his head feverishly, wrapping his arms around Jason’s torso. He would most definitely feel embarrassment over his pathetic behavior later but he couldn’t help himself at the moment. He needed someone. Someone who cared about him and wouldn’t leave him; and Jason seemed to fit that description perfectly. “Don’t leave,” Nico whispered after he finally ceased his whimpering.

  
Jason, obviously surprised at the words the usually independent younger teen had uttered, dropped his chin lightly atop Nico’s head and ran a hand through the boy’s thick dark locks. “I won’t,” he murmured in return, causing Nico to relax in his arms.

  
And before the two knew it, they were drifting back to sleep in the comfort of one another’s arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I continue it?


	2. I Feel You Pull Me to the Dark Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There is no room in his heart for him to love you the way he loves her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to read, comment, and or leave kudos on this story.  
> It really means a lot seeing as I was nervous as hell to post the story in the first place. [:  
> I'm just going to let everyone know the main reason I changed up Percy and Annabeth's personalities was because of the fact that in almost every story I've read, they've appeared as perfect little angels and I thought it would be fun to change it up a bit seeing as the angelic personalities are a bit overused, so much so that you could call it cliche.  
> I hope I don't offend anyone by saying so. o.o  
> Again, suggestions are appreciated. Praise for the story is loved. Criticism is welcome. Enjoy. [:

Nico woke up later that day feeling colder than usual, which was actually saying something. Due to his unnaturally low body temperature, which came from being a child of Hades, he was used to always feeling cold; but now he felt as if were missing something. And that something was the thing that kept him warm throughout his slumber.  He shivered, burrowing further underneath his black comforter, and burying his head in a thick, fluffy pillow. He felt like shit and he was almost positive he looked like it too. He blinked curiously as he patted the spot next to him where Jason should have been, noticing that the area was still slightly warm. The son of Hades sat up quickly, having to pause for a moment due to a wave of dizziness that overtook him. After taking a few deep breaths he stood, looking around the room and grabbing Jason’s purple hoodie from off of the cool hardwood floors. He pulled it over his head, scowling as he looked down and saw that he was nearly swimming in the oversized sweat jacket. Quietly, Nico padded over to the bathroom, peeking inside. “Jason?”

He waited a few seconds, deflating when he didn’t get a reply. Of course Jason had left. Everyone always left him; he didn’t even know why he was surprised by now. Nico chewed on the inside of his cheek guessing that he had undoubtedly scared the son of Jupiter off with all of his blubbering and pathetic actions; he probably would have done the same thing had the positions been reversed. Though the revelation came to him, it didn’t stop the recognizable pain from throbbing in his chest. He stepped into the bathroom, willing himself to ignore the pulsing; he really needed to get it together. Breakdowns were something he was agonizingly familiar with, but he always knew how to pick himself up afterwards and go on with life. But now, he wasn’t sure what to do to make himself better.

He approached the sink, sparing his reflection a mere glance before he did a double take. Gods, he really did look like shit. His eyes were pink and puffy due to the tears he had been crying all night and into the early morning, which had resulted in the dry tears stains that trailed down his face before disappearing below his chin. The bruise on his cheekbone had turned a bluish purple color, gaudily sticking out in comparison to his pale skin which seemed even pastier today than it had all week.

Groaning softly to himself, he turned on the sink and cupped his hands, leaning down in order easily flush his face with the cool water, and taking a deep breath after he was done. He paused when he heard movement in the other room and turned off the sink, warily moving to the doorway between the rooms. “Nico?”

He unconsciously relaxed at the sound of Jason’s voice, relief flooding his sense as he stepped out of the bathroom and turned off the lights behind him. So hadn’t abandoned him. Nico inwardly scolded himself for thinking the blonde would do such a thing; he was after all the Golden Boy of both Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood, who had never been known for turning his back on someone in need. Jason fixed a bright smile on his face as he looked at Nico, making the latter blush in embarrassment of his rememberance of the night before and the early morning. “Hey, um, I…sorry, for soaking your shirt and stuff, and uh, crying…all over you. Yeah,” Nico mumbled, fisting the sleeves of the purple hoodie.

Jason gave him a crooked smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Don’t worry about it, I needed a shower anyway.”

Nico winced. “Was it really that bad?”

Jason’s features softened as he studied his friend, “Just a little. Anyhow, I brought you food. I thought you might be hungry seeing as you missed breakfast and barely ate at all yesterday.”

Nico shifted uncomfortably, the act of being cared for still alien to him after all these years. Despite his insistent hunger, he shook his head. “I’m not hungry,” he said as he walked over to his bed and sat down.

Jason opened his mouth, preparing to argue until he was interrupted by a loud growling sound that resonated from the son of Hades's stomach as the younger of the too caught the aroma of the food in grasp. “Really, you’re not hungry?” Jason questioned, a deadpanned expression fixing itself on his sculpted features.

“Shut up,” Nico grumbled, reaching for the plate Jason held in his hands.

“No corn this time,” Jason stated, his tone laced with good natured teasing as he sat on the floor in front of Nico’s bed and looked up at him as the raven haired teen inspected his plate.

“So I see,” Nico said absently as he shoved his comforter off of his bed to make room for the full platter.

“So, do you wanna talk about yesterday?” Jason asked gently, his voice losing its teasing quality as Nico lifted a donut from his plate.

“Nope.”

“Okay, when you’re ready to talk about it, you know I’m here for you.”

Nico rolled his eyes, speaking through a mouthful of the frosted treat, as the partial truth easily planted itself on his tongue and flowed out without one word coming out forced, “I don’t want to talk about it at all; there’s no need to, I’m fine now.”

Jason gave him a dubious look, but Nico continued. “It doesn’t matter, I was planning on going back to the Underworld soon and this just gives me more of a reason to leave sooner than I had originally planned.”

Jason stood up abruptly, causing Nico to drop the pastry he was nibbling on as he was startled. “No,” the son of Jupiter said stubbornly.

Nico frowned, staring at the donut that was now settled on his floor. “Now look what you’ve done,” he murmured, ignoring Jason and reaching down to pick up the treat from off of his floor.

Nico heard Jason growl, then the donut was out of his reach and across the room, hitting the wall in an explosion of colorful sprinkles that had dislodged themselves from the frosting. “Hey!” Nico protested, his brows furrowing in confusion, “What was that fo—?”

“You’re not going back to the Underworld,” Jason’s eyes were hard and determined, his body poised in a stance that exuded stubbornness.

Nico rolled his eyes, grabbing an apple off of his plate and rolling it in between his palms, “I’m not going to argue with you about what _I’m_ going to do, Grace.”

“Then don’t talk, listen; you can’t run to the Underworld every time something bad happens to you, Nico.”

“I can do whatever the hell I want,” Nico snapped, dropping the fruit down onto his bed where it bounced ever so slightly and rolled off of the mattress and hit the floor with a soft thud.

“Yes, you can. But not with this, I won’t let you. You need to stop hiding from your problems.”

“I’m not hiding—.”

“Then what are you doing, huh?”

Nico shrugged. “My dad needs my help down there—.”

“Nico, your dad is the ruler of the Underworld, I’m sure he’ll be just fine without you there to keep him company. Besides, I know for a fact Hades hasn’t called you for help in _months_. He doesn’t need you—.”

“And I don’t need you,” Nico hissed, more hurt by Jason’s words than he should have been, “So leave.”

Jason shook his head, “No. You need to meet your problems head on; hiding isn’t going to help you. I know you’re not a coward, which means you need to stop acting like one.”

“You don’t know anything about me!” Nico squeezed his eyes shut momentarily against the truth in Jason’s words. “You don’t _know_ me.”

“I know you well enough to know that you go into hiding whenever something troubles you. We’re friends, whether you—.”

“Stop with all of that ‘friends’ shit, you have no idea what you’re talking about! _We’re not friends_ , _Jason_. You don’t mean anything to me, so stop trying to be something you’re not. Just leave me _alone_. I don’t need you.”

A deafening silence befell the room and Nico had time to think about the words that flew from his mouth and had even more time to feel guilty for them. “Jason, I-I didn’t mean that—.”

“I…I think I’m going to go,” Jason said softly, the fight draining from his body and causing his stance to go lax. Nico had looked into his eyes and saw an emotion that he had seen in the mirror when he had woken up; hurt.

“Jason—.”

“You don’t need to apologize, I get it. Even if we aren’t friends, I’ll keep your secret, Nico,” Jason promised quietly, turning and making his way to the door, “I’ll be back to bring you dinner, okay?”

And with those last words, Jason was gone, leaving Nico with his barely touched lunch and a heart heavy with remorse. The son of Hades groaned, dropping his head into his hands and tangling his fingers in his thick, raven colored locks. Why was he such a fuck up? Jason was trying to be there for him, to help him when he obviously needed to be assisted. So why did he have to screw it up when he knew he needed someone to depend on if only for just a little while.

After a few moments of inwardly beating himself over his conversation with the older teen, his anger at himself began to bubble up until it finally burst. Furiously, Nico lifted his head from his hands and grabbed onto his full porcelain platter, sending it flying across the room much like a Frisbee and into the opposite wall where it then shattered with a loud crash, meat sticking to his wall before it slid off, steak sauce dripping down the dark wallpaper. 

As destructive as it was, he had to admit to himself that it had helped ease his anger just a bit. So he wasn’t surprised when mere seconds later he was lifting his apple from the floor and tossing it up in his hand a few times before throwing it at the wall, and watching as the fruit exploded, sending sweet red chunks flying haphazardly across the room. He had just lifted his glass goblet that had be filled nearly to the rim with water and chucked it across the room when the door to his cabin swung open unceremoniously, clashing with the sound of shattering glass.

Nico froze, a barely there blush spreading across his cheeks as Piper took in the mess he had made in his lodgings. “Well,” she began, watching Nico with a calm expression as he lowered his arm, “I came to do a cabin inspection. I was supposed to do it earlier, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

Nico snapped out of his stupor, a single dark brow rising curiously as he schooled his expression and willed the color out of his cheeks. “No one ever comes to inspect my cabin.”

“Well now I see why not,” Piper muttered absently as she jotted something down on her clipboard, “Do you always throw potentially dangerous things around your cabin?”

“Yes, it’s a hobby of mine,” he deadpanned as he settled back onto his bed lazily.

Piper began to speak, but was cut off from a call on the other side of the door. “Is it safe to come in, Beauty Queen?”

Piper rolled her eyes. “Yeah, come on in, Leo.”

Nico scowled as the curly haired demigod stepped into his cabin with an invitation from someone who was not himself. The son of Hephaestus whistled as he took in the chaotic state the son of Hades’ cabin was in. “I say we give him a one out of five, what do you say,” Leo asked Piper as he nudged a stray piece of glass with the tip of his tennis shoe.

“Two out of five,” Piper corrected, continuing to write on her clipboard.

In the mean while, Leo and Nico stared one another down, each taking in each other’s appearance. Leo was dressed in his typical outfit of grease stained jeans and a singed Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Nico was drawn from his study of Leo’s clothing when the Latino spoke, a genuinely interested quality in his tone. “Hey, isn’t that Jason’s hoodie?”

Piper looked up from the clipboard to finally take in Nico’s appearance. “Yeah…it is,” she said suspiciously, “How’d you get it?”

Nico shrugged, casually fiddling with the deep purple drawstrings. “He left it here, so I borrowed it. No big deal.”

“So he spends a lot of time in here?” Piper questioned, her cabin inspection duties completely forgotten.

“Depends on what you consider ‘a lot’,” Nico replied, his tone of voice dripping with disinterest.

“Didn’t he spend the night in here yesterday?” Leo inquired guiltlessly as he messed with a few spare bronze scraps from his tool belt.

“Yeah,” Nico said, drawing the word out slightly.

Leo turned his attention to Piper giving her a cheeky grin as his hands continued fiddling with the scraps. “Well would you look at that. You’ve been trying to convince Superman to spend a night in your cabin for months; I doubt Ghost King here even asked him to stay.”

Piper’s nostrils flared angrily as she clenched the clipboard in her fist so tightly Nico was surprised it didn’t crack. “Let’s go, Leo.”

“But—.”

“ _Now_ ,” she demanded, her voice heavily laced with unintentional charmspeak.

Leo’s brown eyes clouded ever so slightly, his ever moving hands pausing in mid motion; in the next moment, he was on Piper’s heels, trailing after her as she stormed out of the cabin, the door slamming shut loudly behind her.

Nico blinked, not fully understanding what had just transpired before him but not wanting to be in the line of fire when the daughter of Aphrodite found the one who was the cause of her anger; he enjoyed carrying out his actions on his own accord, thank you.

He pulled the hoodie tighter around himself as if it would protect him from Piper’s uncanny power then stood from his bed, careful to avoid stray pieces of glass that would cause harm to his bare feet as he made his way to the bathroom for the second time that day. He randomly selected a shower stall, seeing as each tiled stall held his necessary shower supplies, and pulled the black curtain aside before he began stripping out of his clothing, piling his things in a disorganized heap until he was finally rid of his garments. From there, he stepped into the stall and closed the curtain, reaching for the shower knobs.

He sighed in delight as he felt the water cascade over his bare body, warming up until it became uncomfortably hot. He then reached for the cold water knob, turning it until he was satisfied with the temperature. He stood still for a few moments, merely enjoying the water until he reached for his body wash. He squirted a few globs into his hand before he lazily let the bottle drop to the shower floor. _I need to talk to Jason_ , he thought as he spread the soap onto his wet skin and absently watched the water topped with white soap suds drain through the conduit.

He leaned against the wall of the shower, after he thoroughly scrubbed his skin, letting the water do its job and wash away the foam covering his body. Jason had done nothing but tried to help him, and in return, Nico had pushed him away, possibly ruining their unofficial friendship in the process. Shaking his head at the thought, he snatched up the bottle of shampoo, flipping open the cap and unceremoniously squeezing the cleansing product directly onto his head. He shivered as the cool liquid reached his scalp, and he brought his hands up, massaging the gel into his hair until there were soap suds covering his head. He then rinsed his hair, repeating the process with conditioner.

By the time he was finished in the shower, the water had turned cold, long ago surpassing the cool water stage. Nico turned off the water and pulled away the dark curtain, pushing down a surge of depression that threatened to suffocate him as he brushed his fingers across the healing bruise on his right cheekbone. He had yet to delve into that cause of pain and he wasn’t planning to do it anytime soon.

Nico snatched up his pile off clothes, making sure to include Jason’s hoodie in the heap, before his shuffled out of the bathroom, not bothering to cover up his nude body. He tossed his clothes onto the spare bed that Hazel usually took up residence in when she visited the camp, then walked over to his dresser and pulled out a drawer, snatching out a clean pair of clean boxers and sliding them on without a moment’s hesitation.

Not a moment too soon either. Jason came bursting into his cabin, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he slammed the door shut behind him, then began peeking through the glass of the door. “What the hell, Jason?” Nico snapped, quickly pulling out a pair of dark jeans and sliding them on and fastening them hastily.

“What did you say to Piper?” Jason asked breathlessly, dashing over to a window and lifting the thick black curtain and inspecting the area around the cabin.

“Just random crap,” Nico said, pulling on a black t-shirt with an elaborately designed skull Hazel had bought him from a Day of the Dead celebration.

“Random crap like what? And what’s with all the glass and food on the floor?”

Nico’s face heated as he ran a hand through his damp locks. “I, uh…”

“Nico, you can’t throw stuff when you get upset, you could hurt someone,” Jason stated, giving the younger demigod a stern look.

“Oh—.”

“Shit, she’s coming!”

Jason darted from the window and slid underneath Nico’s bed without missing a beat. Nico, not really knowing the extent of Piper’s anger, waved a hand in Jason’s direction, concealing him in shadows just as Piper barged in. “Where is he, Nico?” she growled, kicking up glass as she approached him.

Nico shrugged, fixing a cool expression on his face. “ _Tell me where he is, Nico_ ,” Piper demanded, her voice dripping with anger fueled charmspeak.

Nico’s mind went completely blank for a moment as he pointed to the area underneath his bed. “There.”

Piper slowly drew nearer to the bed, then quickly dropped down to her knees, searching beneath the bed for her boyfriend. “He’s not here,” she stated, rising from her knees and glaring at Nico.

The son of Hades glowered at her as his mind cleared. “Out.”

Piper shook her head, moving to search the bathroom until Nico rematerialized in front of her. “It wasn’t a question. Get out. _Now_.”

Piper huffed, spinning on her heel and nearly stomping towards the door. “Just…tell me if you find him,” she requested guiltily before she opened the door, her voice a little less harsh than it had been earlier, and devoid of any of her nerve wracking powers, "Please."

Nico gave her a single nod then Piper slipped out, undoubtedly going to search the entire camp for the “missing” son of Jupiter. “She gone?” Jason whispered from below the bed.

Instead of answering, Nico waved a hand once more, the shadows dispersing and revealing a wide eyed blonde. Deciding to get the task out of the way, Nico balled up his fist causing the shadows surrounding the mess of glass and fruit to gather, obscuring the clutter. Closing is eyes in concentration he shadow travelled the mess to the nearest trashcan he could think of, and when he heard Jason’s sharp intake of breath, he knew it had worked. “That’s pretty damn handy. I wonder if I can do something like that,” Jason marveled aloud as he slid from underneath the bed.

Before Nico knew what he was doing, he had crossed the distance between himself and Jason, and wrapped his arms around the older teen’s torso, burying his face in the son of Jupiter’s chest. “I’m sorry,” he blurted, squeezing Jason tightly to hide his mortification at his own actions, “You were only trying to help, and I was being stupid, and rude, and we’re friends, I’ve just never had a close friend before, so I don’t know how to…I’m just sorry.”

When Nico peeked up from Jason’s chest shyly, the older teen was grinning cheekily. “I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you speak without prompting.”

“I’m trying to apologize here,” Nico growled, shoving Jason away.

“I didn’t know you were such a hugger either.”

“I’m not!” Nico snapped.

“Yes you are; you were clinging to me in your sleep. Matter of fact, you’re quite the cuddle buddy, Neeks; I'll have to stay over more often..”

“Stop, stop, stop,” Nico sputtered, his face heating up, “And don’t call me that; Neeks? You make me sound like a fucking chipmunk or something.”

Jason smiled, his eyes brightening in the process. “Well you’re forgiven.”

Nico exhaled heavily. “Good.”

“Now, we’re going to get out of this cabin and do some shit,” Jason insisted, grabbing Nico’s hand and began dragging the shorter teen behind him.

Nico pulled against Jason’s grip. “I have no shoes on, Jason. And what about Piper.”

Jason paused, releasing Nico’s hand. “Oh, yeah, shoes. And I’ll just avoid her; easy.”

Nico snorted softly, going back to his dresser and pulling out a clean pair of socks. When he turned back towards Jason, the blonde had his shoes in hand. “You take so long. Sit,” he demanded, pointing to the bed.

“You don’t tell me what me what to—.”

Nico squealed as Jason darted forward then hefted him over one of his semi broad shoulders blushing as the blonde commented on the sound. “That was manly.”

“Shut up, and put me down!”

Nico yelped as Jason deposited him on the bed, not missing a beat as he snatched one of the younger teen’s feet and slid a sock on messily, and repeated the process with the next foot, then finished off by sliding a black Converse on each appendage. “There. Now let’s go, if we hurry we’ll still have time for free choice,” Jason gently yanked Nico off of the bed, once again dragging him towards the door.

And for a second time, Nico’s reaction was the same. He pulled his arm free of Jason’s firm grasp on his wrist. “I changed my mind, let’s stay in today.”

“Oh c’mon, Nico! Let’s make our own weapon with the Hephaestus kids or climb the flaming rock wall; we can do anything but stay inside of your cabin.”

Nico shrugged, “Okay, then let’s stay in your cabin.”

Jason’s brows rose, then his expression softened a bit. “You’re trying to hide again.”

The son of Hades slid his gaze from Jason’s, instead choosing to look at anything but the sympathetic look on his companion’s face. “Nico, nobody’s talking about yesterday,” the son of Jupiter said gently.

Nico tensed at the reminder but Jason rushed on. “You don’t have to talk to him. Or her. Matter of fact, we’ll go every place they’re not, and if you start to feel uncomfortable we can come back, okay?”

Did he really want to risk seeing Percy’s face and potentially breaking down in front of everyone? No, he didn’t, but he didn’t want to disappoint Jason even more. The son of Jupiter was trying so hard to lift his spirits, the least he could do was give him this. “Fine,” Nico breathed out, obviously exasperated.

Jason’s reaction was as expected; he perked up and grinned, his smile so wide Nico was surprised his face didn’t split. “I knew you’d come around,” the blonde teased, motioning for Nico to follow him.

Nico inwardly sighed as he approached the door, then tensed all over when Jason placed a hand on the knob. “Wait,” he blurted, causing Jason to look at him curiously.

“Yes.”

“I…I just—.”

“You’ll be fine, Nico. I’m not leaving your side, I promise.”

The son of Hades visibly relaxed as he nodded his head slowly and shifted apprehensively. Jason gave him one last reassuring look before he twisted the knob and pulled open the door, sunlight streaming in through the entrance and momentarily blinding the younger half-blood. He blinked quickly, and squinted against the harsh rays of the sun. When he turned to look at Jason, the older teen was chuckling. “Open your eyes, you look ridiculous,” the Roman reached over, trying to pry one of Nico’s eyes open with his forefinger and thumb, only succeeding in getting his hand batted away.

“You poked my eye!” Nico exclaimed, bringing up his hand and rubbing it over his eye rapidly.

“Rubbing it isn’t going to help,” Jason said, attempting to pull Nico’s hand from his left eye.

“Stop it!” Nico yelped as Jason released his hand, causing one of his own fingers to jab his eye.

“Oops.”

“Dammit, Grace!” Nico hissed, his eye beginning to water.

“Here, lemme see.”

“No, you’re gonna poke it again,” Nico protested and instead turned his back on the blonde.

“No I’m not,” Jason retorted, turning Nico back around to face him.

“Let go,” Nico demanded, trying to wriggle out of Jason’s grasp.

“I’m trying to help!”

“You’re the one who caused this, dipshit!”

“No need for name calling,” Jason mumbled as he finally removed Nico’s hand from his eye.

The son of Hades blinked rapidly as Jason inspected his eye while keeping his wrists in a firm grasp so he wouldn’t attempt to wipe at his eye again. “Well would you look at that,” Jason said in wonder, prying Nico’s eye open wider.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“Huh. I always thought your eyes were black. I never knew they were brown; just a really, really, dark brown.”

Nico paused, giving Jason the opportunity to inspect his eye further. That was until he felt the son of Jupiter blow a gust of air onto his eye. “There, all better,” Jason stated proudly as Nico jerked from his grasp.

“All better?! You just blew on my fucking eyeball! Why did you do that?!”

“I’ve seen mortal parents do it to their kids when their eyes are bothering them,” Jason said as he watched the younger teen rub at his eye again.

“That’s if they have an _eyelash_ in their eye, not sunlight!”

“Oh, sorry.”

“This is all your fault,” Nico groaned as a tear unintentionally slipped out of his irritated eye.

“Are you crying?! Shit, Nico, I’m so sorry.”

Jason pulled Nico into a tight hug, the latter of the two struggling to get away. “Mmph, Jason, get off. I’m fine; my eye is just watering.”

Jason pulled back and looked down at Nico, worry etched into his features. “Are you sure?”

Nico rolled his eyes, inwardly smiling at Jason’s concern. “Stop fretting, I’m okay.”

Jason nodded, then patted Nico’s slightly agitated eye affectionately. “Good, let’s go.”

The older demigod ushered Nico out of the doorway of the cabin, closing the door behind himself. Nico hesitated as Jason stepped out onto the pathway, then turned, looking at the younger teen expectantly. After about a minute of waiting, Jason sighed in exasperation and stretched out his arm, wiggling his fingers to get Nico’s hand in his own. “Do I have to drag you away from here?”

Nico snorted and shoved Jason’s hand out his way. “I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”

“Then let’s go,” Jason urged, starting off in the direction of the arena.

Nico walked at a leisurely pace behind him, diligently keeping his head down to avoid the stares of the other campers he passed. They may not have been _talking_ about the incident that had occurred yesterday, but it was certainly still fresh in their minds. Unconsciously Nico reached up, running his fingers lightly over the bruise on his cheekbone, attempting to hid it from view. He hadn’t realized that Jason had stopped until he stumbled into his chest, seeing as he had turned around. “Oomph, Jason, watch where you’re…”

His words died on his tongue as he glanced up to see Jason’s sky blue eyes studying him intently. His eyes immediately fell back to the ground, and he shifted from foot to foot nervously as his hand strayed back to the bruise on his cheekbone. That was until Jason gently took his hand in his own and led it back down to his side. Nico could feel his face heating up with every moment that passed in silence. He could feel eyes on him and Jason so he pulled his hand out of the son of Jupiter’s. “Stop staring at me like that,” he whispered quickly dropping his gaze once again.

He felt Jason’s finger underneath his chin, lifting his head so that deep chocolate brown eyes met baby blue ones that twinkled with mirth. “Keep your head up,” Jason demanded gently.

For a moment, Nico was at a loss for words. That warmth he had been missing this afternoon when he had woken up was back, and it was spreading through his body with every place he and Jason’s skin made contact. Jason gave Nico a reassuring smile, then slid his fingers from his chin, turned and began walking towards the arena again leaving a confused and suddenly cold son of Hades in his wake. “What the hell?” Nico murmured quietly, shaking his head and snapping out of his nostalgic state.

He shivered as he picked up his pace to catch up with Jason who had paused at the entrance to the arena. Just as Nico began to step through the entrance, Jason stuck out his arm, a nearly panicked look on his sculpted features. “Uh, let’s go somewhere else; like the forge or something!” Jason suggested, grabbing onto Nico’s arm and attempting to pull him away from the arena.

Nico strained against his grasp, wary of the warmth that was seeping into his appendage and through his body. He didn’t think he liked the warmth. Though it felt good, it unnerved him almost as much as Piper’s charmspeak did. Almost frantically, he pulled his arm from Jason’s grip, relaxing when the warmth vanished and he was left cold once again. “We’re here now, Jason,” he said, backing into the arena and keeping a cautious eye on the blue-eyed demigod, making sure he didn’t attempt to touch him again.

“Nico—.”

“There’s no point in leaving no—,” Nico paused as he back into a warm, slightly broad chest.

He raised a brow at the expression of panic that immediately changed to anger etched on Jason’s face. “Sorry, I wasn’t watching were I was—,” Nico froze as he turned, coming face to face with none other than Percy Jackson.

He took a step back, his chest feeling as if it was being crushed as he stared into sea blue eyes. Percy‘s dark hair was plastered to his damp skin due to the sweat that was currently making its way down his face, and his wide sea green eyes were filled with shock and remorse as he stared down at the son of Hades. “Nico,” the eldest demigod said softly.

Nico shook his head repeatedly, staring at Percy with a look of hurt fixed on his face. Percy reached out, his fingers nearly brushing over Nico’s bruised cheekbone until the boy flinched and stumbled back into Jason’s waiting arms. His chest was rising and falling rapidly as he continued to stare at Percy, a horrified expression fixed on his face as his eyes began to fill with tears.  Percy took a step forward, then stopped, seeing the way Nico pressed himself into Jason’s chest. “I’m so sorry,” Percy said, his words filled with genuine regret.

Nico felt a few tears slip free and run down his face, quickly followed by other salty droplets. He bit down on his lower lip harshly, a metallic taste springing forth as his teeth dug into the skin. Percy’s eyes widened with concern at the sight of the younger demigod’s blood, and he stepped forward, once again reaching out; this time to wipe away the blood on Nico’s lower lip.

Jason tightened his arms around the son of Hades, turning his back and shielding him against the eldest half-blood. “Don’t touch him,” the blonde hissed venomously over his shoulder, his sky blue eyes flashing dangerously as the air crackled with electricity.

Percy’s eyes hardened, a look of jealousy easily recognized by Nico as he glared at Jason. “What makes you think you have a right to touch him?” Percy growled out.

“Hm, lemme see; I didn’t fucking punch him in the face and bloody his nose,” Jason snarled, gripping Nico’s nearly trembling body.

This was too much. And it was all too soon; he wasn’t ready to see Percy again, he hadn’t prepared himself for the meeting, and the two older demigod’s bickering wasn’t helping his nearly overwhelmed brain function well at all. “I said I was _sorry_ ,” Percy stated, his fists clenching.

“You think that _sorry_ cuts it for what you did to him?!” Jason nearly yelled.

“I know it doesn’t, but can’t you see I’m trying to fix things?!” Percy exclaimed, clearly agitated by Jason’s interference. “I know I’m an asshole, and I completely fucked things up yesterday. I overreacted and everything he said about me yesterday was right,” he paused, speaking softly and making eye contact with Nico over Jason’s shoulder, “Everything you said was right. And I’m so sorry; I know it doesn’t mean much, but I am.”

Jason turned again, scowling down at Nico when the younger teen tried to peek over his shoulder to get another view of the eldest demigod. “Hold on tight,” Jason commanded softly, giving Percy one last glare before he and Nico took to the air, leaving behind an extremely remorseful son of Poseidon who watched them go higher and higher into the air until he could see them no more.

~*~

Jason didn’t take Nico back to his cabin. Instead he took him over to the strawberry fields where a few satyrs were playing their reeds to get the strawberries to grow more healthily. The moment the duo landed, Nico's tears began to fall more repidly than before and he gripped Jason’s t-shirt tightly, pressing his face into the older teen's chest. Jason ran his fingers through Nico’s raven locks, slowly and carefully lowering them both to the ground between the rows of strawberries.

He didn’t want to forgive Percy. He wanted to hate him, and never see his face again. But he knew too well that it wouldn’t work; he had been trying for years to hate the son of the sea god after all, but it had only resulted in his love for the green eyed teen to grow more. As hurt as he was by Percy’s actions, he still loved him and would continue to do so for as long as he could stand it.

By the time he had come to the conclusion, his cries had been reduced to quite sniffles, and he had been left nearly breathless by the sheer force of his sobs. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop him from speaking to Jason. “I need to go.”

Jason tensed, tightening his grip on Nico’s shoulders. “Go where?”

“To Percy,” he whispered, “I have to go forgive him.”

Tentatively, he looked up at Jason’s face; any other time the blonde’s expression of extreme shock would have been comical, but not now, not when he was being serious. “What do you mean ' you have to go forgive him’?!” Jason exclaimed when he finally found words.

“Exactly what it sounds like,” Nico said calmly, carefully extracting himself from Jason’s arms.

“You forgive him?!”

“Yes.”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“No, I’m quite serious,” the son of Hades had regained his cool exterior; the only sign of his breakdown was the stray tears still on his face and his slightly puffy eyes. Other than that, he looked perfectly normal.

“You’re going to forgive him for all that he’s done to you?!” Jason nearly shouted.

“Lower your voice,” Nico demanded, scowling as a few satyrs looked in their direction, clearly agitated that their peaceful music had been interrupted.

Jason was fuming, but he lowered his voice anyway. “Are you fucking insane?” he whisper yelled.

“No. You’re making this bigger than it is. It’s not like he stabbed me or something,” Nico said, plucking a strawberry off of its runner and inspecting it closely.

Jason smacked the fruit out of his hand and sent it flying into a nearby pile of dirt. “Really, Jason?” Nico narrowed his eyes at the son of Jupiter.

“It hasn’t been more than a day since he insulted you, hit you, and _humiliated_ you in front of nearly everyone in the camp, and you’re already prepared to forgive him?”

“Yes.”

“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” Jason cried, finally losing his cool.

“I love him,” Nico said simply.

“Yeah, it certainly looked liked he loved you too when he punched you in the face yesterday,” Jason snapped, his eyes hardening.

“You don’t get it,” Nico hissed, struggling to maintain his own cool.

“No, I don’t, so please, help me to understand.”

“Even if I explain it, you still won’t get it.”

“Then humor me,” Jason deadpanned.

“He said he was sorry and I could tell that he meant it; I forgive him because I love him.”

Jason brought his hands together in slow resonating claps. “What a wonderfully shitty explanation.”

“I don’t care—.”

“Could you just stop and think for a moment, Nico?! Think about what he did to you, what he said to you, how he made you feel. Are you still willing to forgive him for that?”

Nico didn’t stop, nor did he think when his answer came out. “Yes.”

“What is it that you want from him? Love? He’s never going to love you the way you love him, Nico! You need to realize that. He and Annabeth went through and survived _Tartarus_ together, do you honestly think after all they’ve been through he’s going to just drop her and come to you?! Do you really think your love for Percy can split them up?”

“Stop it,” Nico growled, covering his ears to escape the words he had never wanted to hear aloud from anyone.

“No, you need to hear this. He loves her. There is no room in his heart for him to love you the way he loves her. He wants a future with her, not you. He’ll always love her no matter what. Even if they separated and he finally came to you, you wouldn’t completely have his heart; Annabeth will _always_ hold his heart.

“Stop it!” Nico screeched, tangling his fingers in his hair and pulling the locks to distract himself from the pain that was spreading throughout his chest.

“And the saddest part about this whole fucked up situation is, he can treat you however he wants, because in the end, you’ll still be there waiting for the love that you want, but it’s the same love he can never give to you because he’s already given it to another. Out of all the people you could have chosen to fall for, you picked a boy who doesn’t have enough room in his heart to love you the way you want him to.”

“ _I hate you_!” Nico screamed, tears coursing down his face as he gripped his locks tighter. “I _hate_ you, you fucking bastard!”

Nico released his hair and lunged at Jason, catching the son of Jupiter by surprise as he reared his hand back and let fly, his palm landing on the blonde’s left cheek. Jason’s eyes widened as Nico retracted his hand and the blonde brought his hand up to his burning cheek and brushed the tips of his fingers over the stinging skin. “Nico…”

“Don’t talk to me, I _hate_ you!” Nico shrieked, causing the few satyrs in the field to start heading in their direction.

Jason watched as Nico crumbled before his very eyes, realizing a little too late that he had gone too far too soon. “Oh gods, I’m so sorry,” the blonde said, reaching out to his friend.

“Don’t touch me, don’t you ever touch me again jackass. I thought you were my friend, I thought you cared—.”

“I am your friend, and I _do_ care—.”

“Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! You don’t mean that. I never want to see your face again. I. _Hate_. You.”

Nico breathed rapidly as he gathered the shadows in the field around himself. He needed to leave. He couldn’t breathe anymore. His vision began flickering an then he was back in the jar, suffocating ever so slowly, but this time to the sound of Jason’s voice resonating through his head. He couldn’t take it anymore.

Nico screamed at the top of his lungs, curling in on himself as the walls of the jar closed in around him. No, it wasn’t walls, it was shadows. Shadows meant freedom. He could get away from the words that were echoing in his head. _There’s no room in his heart for him to love you_ …

It wasn’t true. _It wasn’t true_! He had to get away. He reached out, and touched the shadows that were closing in around him, hearing _that voice_ shout his name as his beloved shadows blanketed him, embraced him, promising to take him away, to take him wherever he want to go. He wanted to go home. But he didn’t know where his home was. Was it in Italy, where he had grown up under the protection of his mother? Was it the Lotus Hotel and Casino where head had stayed for years with Bianca? Was it at Camp Jupiter with his younger sister, Hazel? Maybe it was his cabin here at Camp Half-Blood. He immediately crossed the latter off of the list and was ready to choose the next best thing until the promising shadows around him dispersed, and a different kind of darkness overpowered the inviting shadows, sending them farther away.

He realized the darkness was the next best thing to his escape, so he was prepared to give in easily. The last thing he remembered was two sky blue eyes he knew he should have recognized staring at him filled with concern and remorse as a familiar voice continued its screaming.

Goodness, he wished that screaming would cease so he could give into the darkness peacefully.  But those eyes. Those eyes were really, _really_ , pretty. But they weren’t more beautiful than the darkness that was insistently pushing him to give in, so without hesitating, he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter soon. [:  
> Just to let you guys know, each chapter will never be under 5,000 words.  
> And in the next chapter I might included point of views from different characters.  
> Whose POV would you rather see next, Jason's or Nico's?  
> Or both?


	3. One Look, and You Control Me From the Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, shit just got real."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter *sighs* was a struggle.  
> Writing smut is much harder than I thought it was.  
> Between happy dancing due to the wonderful comments I received and nearly tearing my hair out over this chapter, I finished.  
> Well, prepare yourself for my attempt at some smutty shit.  
> You have been warned.  
> As always suggestions are appreciated, praise for the story is loved, criticism is welcomed, enjoy. [;

Nico groaned softly, his head throbbing heavily as he pried his heavy lids open. Why the hell did he feel like he had been hit by a truck? Blinking the grogginess out of his eyes he focused on the multiple pairs of eyes staring down at him. There were light brown, gold, a deeper pair of brown, kaleidoscope, stormy gray, sea green, and lastly, those pretty sky blue eyes he had remembered seeing just before he had gone unconscious. Wait. Unconscious? How the hell did that happen? Then the memories came rushing back, along with the words he had never wanted to hear. Now he recognized those sky blue eyes, and he honed in on them, glaring fiercely at the one who was the source of his pounding headache and aching heart. “Man, I’m glad I’m not on the other side of that look,” the owner of the light brown eyes said thankfully.

“Nico, I’m so happy you’re awake,” the owner of the molten gold eyes gushed softly.

Hazel? Then aloud and quite hoarsely, “Hazel?”

The golden eyes twinkled with mirth and unshed tears and Nico paused, not really sure of how to react with all eyes on him and everyone so close He was still wondering why these people he had never willingly associating himself with—excluding Hazel and Jason—were there in the first place. “Back up guys, give him a little space,” Jason said softly, stepping away from bed and retreating into the far corner of the room.

Everyone but Hazel followed suit, each taking up different positions around the room, far enough away to give the son of Hades space, but close enough where they could still see him too; all except for Jason, who stared out of the window of the infirmary absently. Surprisingly, Jason not paying any attention to him or fretting over him like Nico expected him to caused the boy’s heart to stutter in his chest. He frowned slightly at that, alternatively deciding to revisit that problem later. Instead, he smiled as Hazel threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closely to her. “I missed you too, Hazel,” he murmured softly yet teasingly, stroking her curls and holding her tightly.

“You were out for five days, Nico,” she mumbled into his ear worriedly.

Nico tensed at that, his eyes widening slightly, “Five days, are you shitting me?”

Hazel pulled back and frowned, then thumped his forehead. “Watch your language.”

“Sorry,” he grumbled, willing his face not to heat up as a few laughs were heard around the room.

“Anyway, no, I’m not kidding you. You were out cold for five days straight.”

“Oh,” Nico said simply, willing himself not to look in Jason’s direction as he brushed a few of Hazel’s curls out of her face.

“What I want to know is why you were out for five days in the first place,” Leo said, kicking his feet up on the edge of the bed from his position in his chair.

Nico hid a smile and Hazel knocked the Latino’s feet off of the bed and gave him a stern glare. But his smile was soon gone when he realized what Leo was basically asking. “Wait…no one told you why I was unconscious?”

This time Piper answered . “Only Jason knows, and he won’t utter a word about it,” the Native American girl sighed softly as Jason didn’t so much as flinch when his name was spoken.

“So, what happened?” Leo asked, sitting up eagerly.

Nico shrugged, the lie flowing out easily. “I hadn’t eaten in a few days and as a result I fainted. No big deal.”

Leo frowned, obviously displeased with the answer. “Well that’s anticlimactic. Then why didn’t Superman over here just say so?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Jason, and the blonde looked from the window, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “If we’re done here, I promised to help organize the armory before the campfire. I don’t want to be late.”

And with that, the son of Jupiter walked briskly from the room, not sparing anyone a single glance as he left. Nico had to bite his tongue seeing as he wanted to call Jason back into the room and make him stay. _Strange,_ he though bitterly, _I swear I hated him. And I still do_ , he quickly corrected.Piper cursed under her breath, giving Nico a small smile as she started towards the door. “I’m really glad you’re awake, Nico.”

Nico’s brows rose in surprise, then she too was gone, and her footsteps could be heard fading away as she jogged after her boyfriend. “Well, I guess this means I’m out too. Peace, Ghost King,” Leo saluted Nico comically before hopping out of his chair and dashing out of the door.

That left him, Hazel, Frank, Percy, and Annabeth. Gods he hoped his sister wouldn’t try and leave. “Hey, Frank, I can show you to your siblings’ cabin if you want?” Annabeth offered nervously after an awkward moment of silence.

“Is Clarisse going to be there?” he questioned warily.

“I doubt it,” Annabeth replied, giving him a small smile.

“Then I’ll go,” Frank stated, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Hazel’s forehead before he headed towards the door, Annabeth did the same, except kissing Percy’s cheek instead. Nico looked away as it happened, willing Jason’s words out of his head. That was another thing he was throwing in the jar of “Shit I May or May Not Revisit Later.”

Hazel smiled down at her brother, stroking his raven colored locks, “You must be hungry. I’ll go find you something to eat, okay?”

Nico nodded, looking down at his hands as she exited the room, leaving him alone with Percy. The son of the sea god took a seat in the chair closest to the bed, carefully watching Nico for a moment. “I was so worried about you,” Percy murmured softly.

“Really?”

“Of course, Nico. I care about you. You mean so much to me.”

Nico’s heart was pounding wildly in his chest at the words, though outwardly he looked calm and collected. He snorted softly. “You sure have one hell of a way of showing it.”

Percy had the decency to look embarrassed and extremely remorseful at Nico’s sarcastic words. “I know. I screwed up big time. I’ll understand if you don’t forgive me. I was a jerk; I treated you like shit just after we had—.”

“Leave that part out,” Nico cut in, his face heating up at _the word_ Percy had nearly spoken.

A single dark brow rose on Percy’s forehead, and a sly look stole over his features. “Leave what part out? The part where we f—.”

“Shut up!” Nico yelped.

Percy grinned at that and before Nico had a chance to cut him off, he spoke. “We had sex. We fucked. Did the horizontal polka. Got our groove on. Shook the bed. My dick went into your—.”

“Good gods, that’s enough, Percy!” Nico shouted, clearly flustered by the older teen’s foul terminology.

“We should do it again sometime,” Percy suggested, wiggling his brows humorously.

Nico scoffed, sitting up to look directly at the green-eyed teen. “That will not be happening anytime soon.”

“Why not?” Percy asked, obviously disappointed at being rejected.

“You punched me in the face, and now you want to,” Nico made vague hand gestures, hoping Percy got the idea, “Me?!”

Percy smiled, “You’re so cute.”

Nico sputtered, pushing his raven locks out of his eyes, “I am n-not!”

“Yes you are—.”

“I am not, and that’s not the point!” Nico snapped, “The point is, that is never _ever_ happening again. Got it?”

“But—.”

At that moment, Hazel walked back into the room, carrying a plate of food. She took in the scene before her, the turned, giving Percy a firm glare, “Don’t antagonize him, he just woke up. And look, you’ve gotten him all flustered; he’s about as red as a tomato!”

To say the least, Nico was mortified. A laugh burst from Percy, but was quickly silence as Hazel gave him a fierce look and pointed to the door. “Out.”

“Hazel, it’s fine, he—.”

“No, no, I should leave. We’ll talk later, Nico. Matter of fact, meet me at the cabins in forty-five and we can walk to the amphitheater together, okay?”

Nico nodded, willing the blush out of his cheeks as Percy gave him one last mischievous smirk and headed for the door. On his way out, he reached for a piece food off of the plate Hazel was holding, until the girl smacked his hand with the fork she was holding, and shooed him out of the room. “Amber, one of the kids from the Apollo cabin, said you’re go to go as soon as you eat your food,” Hazel stated as she approached the bed, the reached to the side, pulling out the over bed table and folding it over Nico’s lap.

The teen nodded his appreciation as she set down the plate of food before him. “So, what’s new?” Hazel asked, a chipper quality in her tone that Nico had learned to love. She affectionately watched her brother as he dug into his food.

“Nothing really, same old, same old,” he mumbled around a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

“Gods, Nico, slow down; you’ll choke yourself.”

Nico gulped down the mouthful of potatoes, then reached for the dinner roll on his plate. “Stop worrying, you’re acting like Jason.”

He paused at that, studying his roll thoughtfully. The son of Jupiter hadn’t even addressed him directly when had woken up. He didn’t know why he cared so much, but he had been expecting a slew of apologies and an excessive amount of fretting on Jason’s part, but instead, he got neither, and had basically been ignored and blown off. He didn’t know exactly how he felt about that, but he knew he didn’t like it. With anyone else, he wouldn’t have really minded, but this was _Jason_ , the boy who knew his biggest secret and didn’t tell a soul, but instead befriended him and cared for him when he most needed it. To be blown off by him…kind of hurt.

Nico scowled at that realization. _I hate him,_ he reminded himself as he tore off a piece of his buttery roll.

He slightly perked up as his sister spoke to him, thankful for the reprieve it was giving him for his inner turmoil. “I was actually curious about that. I never knew you and Jason were so close.”

Annnnnd, he spoke too soon. “What makes you think we’re close?” he asked suspiciously as he shoved a portion of the bread into his mouth.

“Well, he rarely left your side while you were out, and he didn’t let anyone but me in to see you, and even then he was being all…possessive over you.”

Nico swallowed harshly, his throat having gone dry at the words. What did Jason think gave him the right to _do that_ , after what he had done to him; more importantly, what he had said to him?

He reached for the goblet full of water next to his plate, taking a few large gulps before answering. “Well you’re mistaken,” he started coldly, staring down at his plate, his appetite gradually ebbing away, “he doesn’t mean _anything_ to me.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Hazel murmured and single dark brow rose pensively on her forehead.

“I don’t see why. Just because he chose to partake in a random act of kindness by watching over me doesn’t mean we’re close. He’s the fucking Golden Boy; he’s doing what’s expected of him.”

“If you think that’s what it is he was doing, you obviously don’t know Jason. And watch your language, Nico!” Hazel snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously.

“Just drop it,” Nico demanded dismissively, his tone giving no room for an argument, but of course his sister always found a way around it.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?” the son of Hades asked exasperatedly.

“Pushing people away,” she answered shortly.

“No I’m—.”

“Don’t you dare even try and deny, it,” she commanded almost severely, causing Nico’s eyes to widen slightly.

“Hazel—.”

“No, I’m talking now, you had your turn, and now it’s mine: people care about you, Nico. I don’t understand what you find so hard to believe about that, but you _have_ to stop pushing everyone that shows that they care about you—even just a little—away.”

“Jason doesn’t care about me, and I don’t care about him. End of story.”

“That’s not tru—.”

“End. Of. Story,” Nico bit out, pushing his plate away.

“Fine,” Hazel grumbled, snatching the platter and cup up so Nico could push the over bed table away and get out of bed.

Nico slid off the side of the bed and looked down, finding that he was in a white hospital gown. “Was this really necessary?” he mumbled to himself as he searched the room for his clothes.

“They’re right there,” Hazel said pointedly, motioning to a spot next to the bed.

“Thanks,” Nico walked over to the side of the bed and snatched up his clothes.

“Can you…?” the son of Hades muttered, motioning for Hazel to turn around.

“What? Why—oh,” Hazel blushed, turning her back to give her brother a little privacy.

Nico stripped out of the hospital gown as quickly as possible then pulled on the clothing he had worn five days ago. He didn’t bother to smooth the wrinkles down on his t-shirt as he slid his shoes on and straightened, heading for the door. Hazel made an irritated sound as she followed closely behind him and out of the small room. “You don’t have to come with me,” Nico stated, pushing past a few people in the scarcely crowded hallway.

“Okay,” she said softly as they exited the infirmary, “I’ll just…go find Frank.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Nico blurted, grabbing his sister’s arm as she began to turn around. “I’m sorry.”

Hazel’s eyes softened as she nodded, leaning into her brother’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, Nico,” she whispered.

“I love you too, and I’ll see you at the campfire, yeah?”

“Okay,” she said, fixing a bright smile on her face as she spotted Frank heading towards the infirmary.

She gave Nico one last loving look then she sprinted towards Frank, skidding to a stop as she reached him. Frank gave Nico a wave before he draped his arm over his girlfriend’s shoulders and steered her toward the amphitheater where the nightly sing-a-long would be held. Nico had overheard from a few campers that the Hermes cabin would be leading tonight’s sing-a-along—that should be interesting.

Nico guessed it was soon to be nine o’clock, seeing as the majority of the campers had already made their way to the amphitheater. Remembering Percy wanted to meet up with him before the campfire, he drew in the shadows around him then focused on the place he wanted to go—Cabin 3—and he vanished, rematerializing in the space between Zeus’s cabin and Poseidon’s cabin. He turned as he heard a door open, and the sight that awaited him had him stopping in his tracks and doing a double take. “Jason?” he unintentionally blurted out, causing the blonde to freeze and look in his direction.

The son of Jupiter looked _terrible_. Nico couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed before. Jason’s usually bright blue eyes looked as if they had dulled, probably due to the dark ringlets lining the areas underneath his eyes. His usually tidy hair was in disarray and his purple Camp Jupiter shirt was more wrinkled than Nico’s black t-shirt.

He looked utterly exhausted. And panicked. Jason dropped his gaze, his usually expressive face turning blank, then he turned, briskly walking in the opposite direction and towards the amphitheater. “Nico?”

The son of Hades turned at the sound of Percy’s voice and found the eldest teen leaning against the doorway of his cabin, motioning for the younger demigod to come to him. Maybe that was why Jason had ignored him. He was probably upset that Nico wasn’t heeding his warning. _That bastard_ , Nico growled to himself as he walked up the pathway to Cabin 3, pausing when he reached the door.

“Come on in,” Percy invited, stepping away from the door to let Nico pass.

“I thought we were going to the campfire?” Nico reminded him suspiciously.

“We are, but we need to finish our conversation from earlier.”

Nico cautiously stepped inside of the cabin, turning when he heard the door close behind him. “Sit?” Percy offered, motioning to his bed.

Nico moved toward the bed, ready to sit until a memory surged forward. He felt his face heat up at the memory of himself on his back, naked and sprawled out on Percy’s blue sheets while the son of Poseidon was balls deep inside of him, the former of the two moaning like there was no tomorrow. “I-I think I’ll stand,” Nico stuttered, causing Percy to look at him curiously.

“You sure?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m good where I am.”

“Okay, so, let’s talk,” Percy plopped down on the bed, spreading his legs slightly and letting his hands fall between his knees.

Nico shifted awkwardly as he let his mouth flap open and shut before he found words. “Why?”

Percy ran a hair through his dark locks, tilting his head to the side slightly in confusion. “Why what?”

“First off, why me?”

“Because I care about you, you mean more to me than you’ll ever know to me.”

“If that’s true, why did you… _choose her over me?_ ” He finished that last part in his head, too terrified for the answer to ask it aloud.

“Why did I…?” Percy trailed off, waiting for Nico to finish the question.

For reasons unknown, Percy’s cluelessness frustrated Nico more than it probably should have. The older teen didn’t realize how much he was hurting him, and frankly, it pissed him off. “Why do you keep acting like you give a fuck about me?” he spat.

“I’m not _acting_ ; I really do care about you.”

“No you don’t.”

“Yes I do!”

“You sure have one hell of a way of showing it!”

“You used that one already,” Percy pointed out blandly.

“Who gives a fuck?!” Nico snapped.

“Well, if you’re going to stand there and snap at me for silly shit—.”

“ _Silly shit_?!” Nico nearly shouted, “You fucked me—stole my _virginity_ —then punched me in my face, and you think that’s _silly_ _shit_?!”

Percy’s jaw dropped open, and he stared at Nico silently before he spoke. “You’re a _virgin_?”

“Was,” Nico hissed pointedly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Percy asked weakly, “I-I would have been gentler, or, or…”

Nico laughed bitterly. “Why do you care? At the end of the day, I gave it to you. You were my first time. Congratulations, you stole my purity, Perseus Jackson. How does it feel?”

“Wait, wait, wait. What the hell do you mean _stole_? If I do remember correctly, you were _more_ than willing,” Percy growled, moving from his casual position as he tensed up.

“Well it was obviously a mistake,” Nico snarled, glaring at the son of the sea god fiercely.

“Oh? Was is really?” Percy asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes it was. I mean, other guys who are _gifted_ with someone’s virginity usually give a little something to the used-to-be-virgin. You know, breakfast in bed, a box of chocolates, hell, even a thanks for the honor, but no. You know what _I_ get? I have to sneak out of your fucking cabin at six o’clock in the morning, then later that day, you bloodied my nose!”

“I realize I’m an asshole!” Percy yelled, the fountain in the corner of his room bubbling dangerously.

“Do you really?”

“Yes, I do. And I’ve apologized time after time, and I mean it!”

“Well it’s not enough!” Nico screeched, then softer, “It’s not enough.”

“When will it ever be enough for you, Nico?!” Percy asked loudly, obviously exasperated.

“I don’t know,” the son of Hades blurted, fully losing his cool.

“Well when you find out, holler at me, will you?”

“You know what? Fuck you!” Nico screamed, turning and heading towards the door.

“Where are you going now?” Percy asked, his voice dripping with frustrated uncertainty.

“I’m leaving, you fucking prick,” Nico growled as he pulled open the door.

The door slammed shut, and Nico jumped, clearly startled as he looked up seeing a tanned muscled arm over his head, the hand palm down on the door, keeping it shut even as he tried to pull it open once more. Nico turned, pressing his back into the door as Percy stared down at him, bright sea green eyes intently meeting deep brown ones. Both teens were breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling rapidly. Then, simultaneously both sons of two of the Big Three surged forward, their lips crashing together wildly as they grasped at one another violently.

Nico threw his arms around Percy’s neck, moaning softly as he felt the older teen’s tongue run across his lower lip, seeking permission to be let in. The younger demigod let his lips part, Percy taking the invitation and thrusting his tongue into Nico’s mouth as he tangled his fingers in the boy’s raven locks. Nico felt Percy’s hands gripping his backside and using a quick burst of confidence, he jumped up, wrapping his legs around the older teen’s torso and running his fingers through dark, wavy locks.

Percy made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, but didn’t pull away, instead stumbling blindly towards his bed. Nico released Percy’s lips, instead going for the skin on his neck, fruitlessly marking the older teen as his own. He was thoroughly startled when his back was slammed into the wall next to the fountain, and he nearly slid down Percy’s front until he grasped at the water source, causing it to tip over and spill water onto the cabin floor and onto the son of the sea god’s feet. Mindlessly, Percy set Nico on the edge of the fountain, ignoring the angry gurgling sound it was making in protest of the duo’s actions. Percy then pulled back, stripping off his now damp shirt and tossing it haphazardly across the room. Nico pulled Percy to him, nipping at the newly revealed skin, leaving more marks than he probably should have. But he didn’t care. Let everyone see it, even Annabeth. It would just show the girl that ultimately, her boyfriend wasn’t only hers, but his too, though he didn’t really care much for sharing.

Nico smirked at the thought, biting down extra hard on Percy’s shoulder and making the older teen groan in appreciation. He pulled away slightly, observing his work smugly; several large darkening hickies lined Percy’s neck, starting just below his jawbone and reappearing on every side of his neck—except the back—and spreading out of his shoulders and even a few stray marks littering his biceps. And of course it didn’t stop there, there were little bruises blooming along his pecks and chest, making Nico certain Percy would not be training shirtless for at least a week. “Nico, what the fuck is all of this?” Percy murmured breathlessly, studying the marks along his skin blearily.

“Just returning the favor,” Nico responded, obviously pleased with himself.

“How am I supposed to cover this up?”

“That’s not my problem,” Nico said, cheekily, pulling Percy closer to him by using his legs.

“You’re rotten,” Percy muttered, attacking Nico’s lips once more.

The son of Hades grinned against the hero’s lips, biting down on his lower lip gently as he cleared his mind of his guilt of the wicked act he was currently committing.  When Jason’s hurtful words surged to the forefront of his mind, his kissed Percy more forcefully, and clutched onto him more fiercely, desperately trying to prove Jason wrong.

He squealed in astonishment as Percy tossed him onto the bed, where he had time to bounce at least once and take in a quick breath of fresh air before the hero was on him again, his lips seeking Nico’s own. Percy slid between Nico’s legs, and in return, the son of Hades wrapped his legs around the teen’s slender waist, gasping when his lips were released.

Nico watched Percy’s movements almost obsessively as the older demigod pulled back, motioning for the younger teen to lift his arms. Nico lifted his arms and the older teen tugged the hem of his black t-shirt up, then finally pulled it over his head and tossed it away, though the son of Hades swore the skull seemed to stare at him mockingly before it hit the floor somewhere far from the older teen’s gaudy Camp Half-Blood tee. “Percy,” Nico hissed, his voice dripping with pleasure as the demigod in question bit down on his neck with enough pressure to leave a mark.

“Don’t…don’t you dare leave another letter,” Nico panted as the green-eyed demigod trailed kisses and love bites down his neck and bare chest.

“You noticed it then?” Percy murmured, smiling against Nico’s chest.

“Yes!” Nico yelped as Percy bit down on his nipple, rolling it between his teeth then reaching for the other to pinch and pull sharply but gently.

Nico tangled his fingers in Percy’s dark locks, then yanked the older teen’s head up to reconnect their lips. “We…we can’t do this,” Nico muttered weakly in between kisses as he felt his guilt push past his mind’s barriers.

“You’re right,” Percy whispered against his lips, his hands trailing down and quickly unfastening Nico’s jeans and slipping down the front.

Nico whimpered longingly as he felt Percy’s hand brush against his erect member through his boxers. “You,” Percy paused, sliding his lips down to a sensitive area between the younger teen’s ear and slightly under his jaw; there, he let his tongue dart out, tasting the spot and making Nico arch against him, “need to be naked.”

Percy then bit down on the spot, Nico crying out in pure pleasure as he simultaneously gripped the younger teen’s cock through the fabric of his underclothes. When Percy slid his hand out of the front of his pants, Nico made a soft objective noise in the back of his throat, then gripped the older teen’s waist tightly and bucked up against him. “Nico, your pants off. Now,” Percy demanded, pushing on Nico’s hips lightly.

The son of Hades willing let his hips drop and lifted them again as Percy slid his jeans and boxers down then tossed them aside and was on the teen once more. “Yours too,” Nico mumbled against the son of Poseidon’s lips, his hands straying down to unbutton the jeans.

“Later,” Percy murmured, attempting to swat Nico’s hands away.

“No,” Nico growled, stubbornly unfastening Percy’s jeans and attempting to slid them down his waist.

“Eager?” Percy asked teasingly as he pulled back and slid down his jeans and boxers himself.

Nico’s lips unconsciously parted as the rest of the older teen was revealed and he inwardly had to remind himself to breath. “I think you’re drooling a little,” Percy breathed into Nico’s ear, causing the younger boy to shudder.

“Shut up,” Nico whimpered as Percy bit down on his earlobe gently, then reached over to the bedside table and pulled out its drawer, searching its contents noisily.

The older teen made a pleased sound, then slammed the drawer shut lazily, and set one of the objects he had grabbed onto the tabletop. Nico shivered as Percy slowly ran his eyes over his lithe body, then, in the younger teen’s mind, the moment was ruined as Jason’s voice surged forward, _—he doesn’t have enough room in his heart to love you the way you want him to._

 _That’s not true_ , he reminded himself as he sat up on his elbows, capturing Percy’s lips for the zillionth time that night. He could make the older teen fall in love with him, he seemed to be almost halfway there and Nico hadn’t done a thing. Or maybe it was the sex…?

He inwardly shook his head, clearing that thought immediately. Nobody could just have sex without _some_ feelings developing that had or hadn’t been originally there. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy’s neck, pulling him down so they lay flush against one another. So, the answer was…more sex? That wouldn’t be too hard, it seemed Percy was willing to have as much sex as possible, so all he needed to do was— _I think that is one of most ridiculous ideas I’ve had by far._

Then he wasn’t thinking anymore as one of Percy’s hands slipped between them and gripped both of their cocks at once. Both demigods groaned fairly loudly as their lips separated and pleasure reared is beautiful yet immoral head. Percy’s hand was covered in something slick and cool that Nico immediately recognized as lube. Percy moved his hand slowly on both their cocks, causing Nico to buck into the motion as he searched for more friction. “M-More,” he whimpered, bucking into Percy’s hand and causing the latter of the two to moan softly.

“No, we’ll come too soon, and the only way I’m coming tonight is if I’m fucking you,” the hero murmured as evenly as possible.

Nico’s head cleared slightly at those words, and he attempted to sit up, but was immediately forced back down as his body betrayed him, giving into the pleasure Percy wrought on him using just one hand. He couldn’t let Percy fuck him. There was still the problem of Annabeth, and if she ever found out that the two demigods were fooling around behind her back, they would have hell to pay. But Nico didn’t want to just…push him away; it felt _so_ good. Too good to tell Percy to stop. So he gave into the bliss the older teen was wreaking on him, and bit down on his lower lip to stop a cry from forcing its way out as Percy slid a well lubed finger into his entrance. The hero looked up at Nico’s pleasure contorted face and eagerly pushed a second finger inside without letting the boy properly get used to the first. “Ow, ow, ow!” Nico gasped out as he was snatched from his delight at the pain Percy’s fingers were causing him.

Percy, not seeming to notice his displeasure, forced his fingers in farther and instantaneously began probing for Nico’s prostate. “Fuck, that hurts!” Nico yelped, grasping onto the older demigod’s wrist in an attempt to still his fingers.

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” Percy blurted, quickly pressing soft kisses to Nico’s temple and cheeks.

Nico smiled weakly at gesture, waiting as the pain gradually ebbed away; seeing as he had just recently lost his virginity, he still wasn’t used to being stretched or probed, _down there_. He nodded about two minutes later and released Percy’s wrist, signaling the older half-blood to go ahead. Slowly, the older teen began scissoring his fingers, carefully stretching out the younger demigod. Nico shifted uncomfortably, shoving the deep blue comforter off of the bed in an attempt to relax himself further. “Hey!” Percy protested, reaching for the blanket with his free hand, “My mom just bought me that.”

“Really, Percy?” Nico sighed, watching as Percy pulled the duvet back onto the bed.

“Yes, really, it’s brand new.”

“Here’s the deal; you’re either going to fuck me without the damn blanket on the bed, or you can spend the night alone cuddling with your precious blankie. Take your pick,” Nico commanded, his own face heating up at his words.

“Fine,” the older half-blood grumbled, knocking the blanket off of the bed once more.

Nico grinned up at Percy smugly, then the tips of the older teen’s fingers brushed against something inside of him that nearly made him see white. “Yeah, I thought so,” Percy said arrogantly, brushing his fingers over the spot once more and making Nico buck against his fingers in wanton lust.

“M-More!”

Percy intentionally moved his fingers from the pleasure area, making Nico whimper in protest. “Now, that’s no way to ask.”

Nico shook his head wildly. There was no way he was going to _ask_ for it. Nope, not happening, he was not that desperate. Or so he thought.

When Percy’s fingers danced over the spot once more, Nico found his voice betraying him as he writhed on the bed, trying to get the hero’s fingers deeper inside of him. “Percy, please!”

“Well since you asked so nicely…”

Nico’s fisted the sheets as he felt Percy’s fingers delve deeper inside of him, and he bit down on his tongue, silencing the cries that attempted to force themselves out. He ignored the taste of blood on the tip of his tongue, instead focusing on the way Percy’s fingers felt inside of him. “A-Another,” he panted, releasing his tongue for just a few moments to get his words out.

Percy, nipped the skin along his neck as he leisurely added a third finger into Nico’s hole, making the son of Hades gasp pleasurably. “Oh gods,” Nico whined, gripping the older demigod’s shoulders tightly as he felt his own precum dripping in a steady stream and pooling on his torso.

“I-I-I think I’m gonna cum,” Nico hissed, as he felt Percy twist his fingers inside of him.

The hero continued his ministrations for a few seconds more, then pulled his fingers from Nico’s hole, making the son of Hades nearly sob as he climax was interrupted. “Not yet,” Percy muttered teasingly.

Did he think this was a fucking joke?! Nico bit down on his lower lip, reaching for his erect member slowly as Percy turned, reaching for something off of the bedside table. “Hey, Nico, can I cum inside of you?” the hero asked so casually it seemed as if he was asking for something as simple as the time or the weather.

The son of Hades froze, growling softly to himself. “No.”

“Oh come one! I heard it feels better without—.”

“Percy, I said no. Can’t you just respect my fucking decision?” Nico snapped.

“Okay, okay, I’m dropping it,” Percy grumbled defensively as Nico heard the crinkle of a package being torn open.

Nico refused to give the older demigod the luxury of coming inside of him, marking him as his own _while_ he was still dating Annabeth. He knew it was extremely selfish, but he at least wanted to have one thing he didn’t feel like Percy had taken in a wicked act of greed. He knew he was in as much of the wrong as Percy was, but the older teen was like a drug and Nico was clearly addicted. Bitterly he wondered to himself if he could enroll himself in some kind of rehab for his unhealthy “addiction.”

He was snapped out of thoughts as he felt Percy’s palm land sharply on his backside. “Ouch! What the hell, Percy?!” Nico yelped, covering his stinging skin.

“Roll onto your stomach then get on your hands and knees,” Percy attempted to roll Nico onto his stomach himself, but stopped as the younger teen swatted his hands away.

“First of all, I can move without your help. Secondly, you couldn’t have just asked?! Thirdly, no.”

Percy paused, staring down at Nico curiously, “No?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not going to get fucked on my hands and knees like some kind of slut,” Nico spat.

Percy grinned moving down and nuzzling Nico’s nose with his own. “You’re _my_ little slut,” he murmured affectionately, nearly sweeping Nico up with his words.

That was until Nico caught on to just what he was saying. “ _Your slut?!_ ” he nearly shrieked, jerking away from the older demigod.

“Yeah, I think it’s kinda hot.”

“What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?!”

Percy arched a brow inquisitively, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you always think with your dick?”  Nico deadpanned.

“Not always. If I did, it would make life a hell of a lot more interesting though,” Percy smiled crookedly.

Nico waved his hand dismissively, ignoring Percy’s words. “If you _ever_ call me a slut again I will make sure you don’t have a dick to think with.”

The son of Poseidon’s green eyes widened slightly as he hid his condom covered dick from Nico’s view. “You shouldn’t say things like that, it kinda kills the mood,” Percy made a point of peeking between his cupped hands and glancing up at Nico accusingly.

“You know what else kills the mood?”

Percy opened his mouth to answer, but Nico cut him off with a glare. “Calling me a slut kills the mood too. If we’re going to continue this shit,” he started, not just meaning their little “sex session”, but the fooling around too, “Just remember, derogatory names _do not_ turn me on.”

“Huh. You and Annabeth really are complete opposites then,” Percy murmured absently, getting a distant look in his bright eyes as he drew back on his knees.

“Wait,” Nico began cautiously, “You’re still fucking Annabeth?”

Percy snorted as if that was the stupidest question he had ever heard. “Of course I am; she’s my girlfriend.”

“Oh,” Nico said softly, pulling himself into a sitting position.

“Yeah, having sex with you two is completely different. She likes all that hair pulling and name calling, but you like…”

Nico zoned out at that point, not wishing to hear Percy compare he and Annabeth. And here he thought the hero and his “Wise Girl” were all about vanilla sex. Go figure, the most reserved ones always turned out to be the kinkiest. “…co, hey Nico, are you listening to me?”

Nico bit down on his lower lip to stop the trembling as his vision began to blur from the tears that were surging forward. He needed a distraction or else he would breakdown in front of the son of the sea god.  “Nico?” Percy leaned forward, attempting to catch the younger teen’s eyes, “You okay—mmph!”

Nico threw his arms around Percy’s neck, pressing their lips together to silence the older teen’s unintentionally unsympathetic words. He hauled himself into the hero’s lap, reaching for the lube on the side table. “Nico—.”

“Just shut up,” the son of Hades growled, his voice quavering ever so slightly as he threw the bottle across the room angrily after he squirted a few globs of the substance into his palm.

“Hey! What was that—.”

“Shut. Up,” Nico snarled, quickly greasing up Percy’s cock and positioning himself over the condom covered tip.

“Are you—?”

Percy groaned softly as Nico began to slide down on the older teen’s erect member. He paused, letting himself adjust to Percy’s reasonable girth, but as he waited, it became harder for him told hold back the tears fighting to free themselves. So instead of waiting for the pain to ebb away, he took a deep breath and tried to relax his muscles, then slammed himself down, a few tears trailing down his face as a result of the pain. “Nico, what the hell?! Are you okay?” Percy tried to catch Nico’s eyes, but the younger teen turned his head, gripping the former’s shoulders tightly.

“Stop acting like you care,” he whispered, tears running freely down his face now.

“I do c—.”

Nico rose up, ignoring the stinging pain in his backside as he dropped himself back onto Percy’s member, impaling himself on the length again. Nico tensed as Percy gripped his waist, lifting him and then letting him slide back down onto his member, this time, hitting the younger teen’s prostate in the process. Nico squeezed his eyes shut, moaning softly against his will as Percy began thrusting into him repeatedly, hitting that sensitive area inside of him each time.

 Nico swatted Percy’s hands away, dropping himself into the hero’s lap then rocking his hips forward and back, stirring the erect member inside of him. Percy let out a high pitched moan, his head tipping back as Nico quickened his pace by just a smidge. Nico dropped his face down into the space between Percy’s neck and shoulder, continuously rocking his hips as he fruitlessly attempted to stop the warm tears from hitting the hero’s tanned skin. “Does it hurt?” Percy murmured, tangling his fingers in Nico’s dark locks to try and draw the boy’s face from his shoulder.

“No,” Nico mewled softly as Percy plunged back into his heat at a faster pace than before.

“Are you sure?”

“Just shut up and fuck me,” Nico whispered, his sentence ending in a loud moan as Percy took his advice and began mercilessly slamming into his tight orifice.

“I don’t like it when you tell me what to do,” Percy grunted, as he filled Nico to the hilt with his member.

“But you’re doing exactly what I told you to do, yes?” Nico gasped out, trying to distract himself from his inner turmoil.

Instead answering, Percy surged forward, ending up on above the younger teen, staring down into his watery brown eyes. “You lied,” the hero muttered, attempting to kiss away the younger teen’s tears, “It hurts, doesn’t it? Do you want me to stop?”

Nico bit down on his lower lip and averted his eyes, his tears steadily leaking out of his eyes as Percy continued to kiss away his tears in what he did not recognize was a futile mission. “No, I’m fine,” and to prove his point, Nico tightened his ass muscles, making Percy unintentionally buck into his hole.

Nico wrapped his legs around Percy’s waist, pressing the heels of his feet into the hero’s backside, pressing his length deeper inside of him. Then both boys froze as a loud knock sounded on the other side of the door. “Hey, Perce, you awake?”

Annabeth.

Well, shit just got real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure I'll be doing some different POVs next chapter.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading. [:


	4. You're All I Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Since when did he think Nico di Angelo was...cute?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for the long wait on this chapter.  
> I had hoped to post it sooner than this, but yanno, shit kinda got in the way.  
> Well, it's here now and I hope you all like it.  
> As you all know suggestions are appreciated, praise for the story is loved, criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy. [;

** Nico’s POV **

_Shit_ , Nico thought, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he nearly choked on the air he attempted to suck in. He looked up as he felt Percy’s organ fluttering even faster than his own in his bare chest that was currently flush against his own pale one. “Percy?” Annabeth.

“Get out of me!” Nico hissed, jolting into action and pushing the son of Poseidon off of him.

Quickly, Percy slid his now flaccid member from Nico’s orifice, jumping up and frantically searching the room for his clothes. “Hide!”

“Naked?!” Nico whispered shouted, leaping off of the bed and darting around the room, snatching up his stray articles of clothing.

“I don’t care; just don’t let her see you!” Percy quickly slid on his dark blue boxers, then tossed Nico his black jeans with his boxers tangled in the legs.

“Percy, I’m coming in,” the doorknob jingled and Nico froze, a horrified expression fixed on his face.

“Nico!” Percy muttered semi loudly and anxiously.

The son of Hades attempted to shadow travel out of the room, but nearly all of his energy had been spent during his time with Percy. Now he understood why people said sex was a workout and why so many fell asleep afterwards. He felt as though he had fought the Titan war once again in less than an hour, but he did have just enough energy to conceal himself in shadows. He called the shadows in the cabin to himself, and in half a second he was hidden in the space next to Percy’s bed with his clothes messily pulled on.

And not a moment too soon either. Annabeth stepped into the room, her blonde curls pulled back into neat ponytail and her stormy gray eyes fixed on her boyfriend. “Why do you look so…frazzled?” she question, closing the cabin door just as the column of shadows that was Nico inched forward, making it about a foot from the exit in an attempted to slip out unnoticed.

“You woke me up,” Percy blurted, sitting up from his sprawled out position on the bed.

“Liar, you look way too alert.”

“Um…”

“You were jerking off, weren’t you?” she asked, smirking knowingly.

 _Stupid bitch_ , Nico bitterly thought to himself as the blonde moved forward and settled herself in Percy’s lap. The son of Hades immediately regretted his words as a small wave of guilt washed over him. He didn't hate Annabeth, he hated that she had what he so desperately wanted.

“No…?”

“If you wanted to get off, you could have just come and got me, Seaweed Brain, “ she teased affectionately, wrapping her arms loosely around Percy’s neck. “Is that why you weren’t at the campfire?”

“Maybeeee.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Annabeth murmured before surging forward and capturing Percy’s lips with her own.

Nico had to turn away from the offending sight as Annabeth pushed Percy down onto the bed and straddled his waist. He endured the insulting sounds and noises pouring from the duo for nearly twenty minutes until Annabeth spoke again, this time breathlessly. “What did you do with the condoms?”

Nico flinched, unconsciously turning to stare in shock at the son of Poseidon who seemed to forget that he had an audience. He was going to fuck her right after he fucked _him_? When he saw both older teens sprawled out nude on the bed, his question was answered.

He had to get out of there; he didn’t think he’d be able to handle it anymore. He cursed inwardly as he felt a warm tear hit his cheek, the burning in his eyes promising there would be more soon to follow. “Gods Annabeth, I _love_ you,” Percy groaned out.

Nico’s breath caught. Why couldn’t Percy love _him_? Why her? What did she have that he didn’t? He stopped that thought as he bit down on his lower to keep the pitiful sounds of sorrow from escaping. Percy had no idea what he was doing to him, and that’s something that hurt him more than it should have. All he was to the older teen was a sex outlet, he was fucked then tossed aside so Percy could shower his girlfriend in all of the love and affection that he so desperately craved for himself.

Nico inwardly shivered as he began inching towards the door again. He was so cold, and there was only one thing he knew that could warm him up.

“I love you _so_ much,” he heard Percy whisper as he reached for the doorknob.

That was the major difference between his and Percy’s sexual relationship in comparison to the hero and his girlfriend’s; he made love to Annabeth, while he simply fucked Nico.

Bitterly wiping tears from his eyes, he pulled open the door, still obscured in his shadows and not caring if the couple was startled out of their ministrations by the action. He darted out of the door, letting is slam shut behind him as he let his feet guide him to the place he needed to go. When he reached the door, he let the shadows fall from around him as he reached out, softly and tentatively knocking on the wood.

As he waited, he absently studied the torches that were burning brightly on the doorframe, giving up on wiping the tears from his eyes in an attempt to save face. He nearly flinched as the door was pulled open, and a sleep disheveled blonde stood in the doorway, blinking the sleep out of his sky blue eyes. “Nico…?”

“I’m sorry, I-I just didn’t know where else to go. And…and I’m just so co—and he just—I need you,” Nico hiccupped reluctantly through his tears, his hands trembling at his sides.

Then Jason’s arms were around him, and that warmth he so desperately needed was surrounding him, soothing his obvious distress. “You’re crying,” Jason murmured against his hair, “Why?”

Nico shook his head, clutching onto the front of Jason’s t-shirt to pull the older teen closer to him, the older teen pulled him inside of his cabin and let the door shut quietly behind them. Jason led him to the bed positioned in the corner of the room, purposefully out of the line of sight of the large statue of the king of the gods, Zeus. The son of Jupiter sat Nico on the edge of the bed while he remained standing, the younger teen still grasping tightly onto his t-shirt. Nico averted his gaze as Jason knelt down in front of him, attempting to catch his eyes. “Nico, I need you to tell me what’s wrong. I need to know so I can help you,” Jason placed his fingers on the son of Hades’ cheek, gently wiping away the tears that continued to fall without avail.

“I-If I tell you, you’ll hate me,” Nico whispered, gripping Jason’s wrist tightly to keep his warm palm against his cheek.

Jason’s eyes widened slightly as he shook his head feverishly, “That’s not true, Nico.”

“But I hated you.”

“I know. I’m so sorry; I take back everything I said, okay? I was wrong, he can love you the way you want him to. We never know, he might return your feelings one day,” Jason said softly.

Nico shook his head, meeting Jason’s eyes. “You were right. He’ll never love me, but I love him, Jason. And I don’t want to. Is something wrong with me?”

“No!” Jason quickly assured him.

“Then why doesn’t he love me?” Nico’s voice was small and fragile; something he could see was surprising the son of Jupiter.

“I don’t know, Nico,” Jason stood up, sitting on the bed next to the younger teen who immediately leaned into his side.

“I want him to. So bad,” Nico whimpered, wondering why he was telling all of this to the older half-blood, but not able to stop himself from letting the truths flow out, “I don’t want to be alone anymore, Jason.”

Jason made a desperate sound in the back of his throat, then he pulled the younger demigod into his lap, surrounding him in his arms. “You’re not alone. You’ve always had people who care about you, Neeks.”

Nico pulled his knees to his chest, burrowing his head between his knees as he let out a hopeless sob that he knew wasn’t lost to Jason’s ears. The older demigod pulled the son of Hades closer, placing his chin atop the younger half-blood’s head. “I hate when you’re like this. And I hate even more that _he’s_ the one who’s the cause of this,” Jason growled softly.

“Why?”

“Because you deserve so much more than he can offer you; you deserve the best, Nico, and if he’s not willing to give that to you, then you don’t need him.”

Nico shook his head, leaning into the warmth Jason’s chest provided him. Jason sighed softly, setting the younger teen down in the middle of the bed. Nico grabbed Jason’s hand frantically as the older teen stood. “Where are you going?” he asked nervously.

Jason squeezed his hand softly. “I’m going to get—gods, Nico, you’re shivering so hard I’m surprised the bed isn’t shaking.”

“I’m cold.”

Releasing Nico’s hand quickly, Jason dashed to the other side of the room, and snatched a spare blanket out of his drawers. Nico hadn’t realized his teeth were chattering until Jason returned and placed a hand on his cheek hoping to stop the action. Unintentionally, Nico nuzzled his face into the son of Jupiter’s warm hand, the chattering gradually quieting until it finally ceased. Jason made a pleased sound as he draped the blanket around Nico’s shoulders, which did little to stop the boy’s shivering. Finally, Jason crawled into bed next to the young demigod, wrapping his arms around the teen’s trembling body. “Better?”

Nico burrowed his head in Jason’s chest, his tears long dried out but the despair remaining. “Yeah.”

“You’ll be okay, Nico. I’ve got you,” Jason ran a hand through Nico’s dark locks, then surprised the younger half-blood by pressing a chaste kiss to his temple.

Immediately, warmth surged through Nico, causing his quivering to cease as his eyes widened. “W-What was that for?”

“You needed it.”

Nico felt an embarrassed blush rise to his cheeks as he buried his head further in Jason’s chest. “I want you to be happy, Nico,” Jason murmured after a few minutes of contemplating silence.

“Why?”

Nico nearly made a purring noise in the back of his throat as he felt Jason stroke the back of his neck lightly with his fingertips. “Because you deserve happiness.”

Nico snorted softly. “According to you I deserve a hell of a lot,” his words were soft and subtly discouraged.

“You do.”

The son of Hades rolled his eyes wearily, unconsciously scooting closer to the older teen. “You’re tired,” Jason stated more than asked.

“A little,” Nico admitted softly, his eyelids growing heavy at the realization.

“Then go to sleep.”

“But—.”

“I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise.”

With that soft reassurance, Nico gave in to the pull of sleep, his eyes falling closed even as Jason continued with his comforting strokes.

~*~

** Jason’s POV **

Jason awoke the next morning with Nico’s small body curled up against his own larger one; the younger teen’s still clutching onto his shirt much like he had been before he was overcome by sleep. Gently, he pried Nico’s hands from his shirt as he heard Leo’s overly chipper voice approaching his cabin, undoubtedly led there by Piper. He slowly slid from his bed, carefully removing himself from underneath the comforter, frowning slightly when Nico’s whole body shuddered. Dutifully, he pulled the covers up to the younger demigod’s chin, his frown deepening when it seemed to have no affect on the boy’s shivering. He placed the palm of his hand over the teen’s forehead in an attempt to check his temperature, but immediately found it unnecessary when Nico let out a small, content sigh, his body settling down into the mattress.

Jason gave a small smile and removed his hand from the boy’s cool forehead, but his smile dropped a little as the younger teen began shivering once more. His brows furrowed before he dropped his hand to Nico’s cheek, the younger of the two nuzzling into the warmth the older teen offered. Curiously, Jason removed his hand, his brows rising as the younger teen began shivering once more. “Huh,” he murmured to himself as he studied his hands, then glanced towards the door as the expected knock sounded on the other side.

Jason cast the sleeping boy a pensive look before he padded quietly over to the door, grasping the doorknob and pulling the door open to reveal his best friend and his girlfriend’s smiling faces. “Ready for breakfast?” Piper asked in a cheery tone, her smile faltering a little as she took in Jason’s appearance, “In your sleeping attire…?”

Jason glanced back over his shoulder, then motioned for the two in front of him to take a few steps back as he stepped out of his cabin, pulling the the door gently behind him but leaving it slightly ajar. “What’s the deal Superman, you ready to go or not?”

Jason shook his head. “I’m not going.”

“Why not?” Piper asked curiously.

“Hey, who’s that?” Leo cut in, peeping behind Jason to get a better view at the body he had spotted in the son of Jupiter’s bed.

“Who’s who?” Piper questioned, attempting to look past Jason and into the room.

“No one,” Jason blurted.

It’s not that he was ashamed to have the boy in his cabin, it was that he knew Nico would be embarrassed if anyone found out himself and Jason had been sleeping in the same bed. “Liar,” Piper muttered as she pushed past Jason to get into the cabin.

“Piper!” Jason hissed, attempting to keep his girlfriend out of the room.

“ _Move_.”

Jason immediately stepped aside to let her into the room. Piper pushed open the door that Jason had attempted to shut upon Leo’s realization. Leo slid into the cabin behind Piper as soon as Jason snapped out of his charmspeak induced stupor. “Who _is_ that?” Leo mumbled taking a few steps closer to the bed.

Jason rushed into the cabin, stepping into Leo’s path before the son of Hephaestus got too close. “Is that Nico?” Piper asked, a subtle hint of betrayal amongst her tone that was also dripping with suspicion.

The son of Jupiter cast a fleeting look over to his bed to make sure the younger teen was still asleep before he looked back at his friends and motioned for them to go back outside. Leo shrugged and walked out of the cabin, Piper giving Jason something close to a glare before she too left the cabin. Jason followed behind the duo, this time firmly closing the door behind him as the onslaught of questions began.

“What is Nico doing in there?” Leo.

“In your _bed_?” Piper.

“Are you two like, friends or something?” Leo.

“Why have you two been together so much?” Piper.

“Doesn’t he give you the creeps just a little?” Leo.

“Is this why you won’t let me stay in your cabin?” Piper.

“If he slept in your bed, where did you sleep?” Leo.

“Good question, Leo. Yeah, Jason, where’d you sleep?” Piper.

“Gods, will you two slow down?” Jason demanded exasperatedly.

Leo and Piper’s mouths shut at his words, though they both eyed him curiously. “Nico wasn’t feeling well last night so I let him stay in my cabin,” Jason fibbed, casually shrugging.

“But I thought he hated you? I mean, anyone would have thought so with that glare he was giving you yesterday when he woke up,” Leo stated.

Jason decided to ignore that, instead focusing on Piper’s statement. “That doesn’t explain why he didn’t sleep on the floor.”

“He had a fever. If he would have slept on the floor it would have gotten worse. He took the bed, I slept on the floor,” Jason leaned against the doorframe, watching his friends carefully.

“Why didn’t he just go to Percy?” Leo asked, genuinely perplexed.

“Because they’re not that close,” Jason snapped, immediately agitated by the question.

“And you two are?” Piper.

“I guess so, I mean, I didn’t punch him in the fucking face.” Jason had to stop himself from growling out the response.

“Huh, you spend more time with him than you do Beauty Queen,” Leo observed, raising his hands defensively as Piper glowered at him, “Hey, I’m just stating facts. Golden Boy over here stays in Bones’ cabin, Bones stays in his. Jason even lets him wear his special hoodie. Have you ever worn it Beauty Queen? Didn’t think so…”

Leo trailed off as he noticed Jason staring angrily at him. “Forget I ever said a thing,” the son of Hephaestus blurted awkwardly.

“No, no, you’re right, Leo,” Piper grumbled thoughtfully.

“Well…I’m staying in today to make sure Nico gets better, okay?” Jason leaned down and pressed a simple kiss to Piper’s cheek before he bumped fists with Leo, giving the son of Hephaestus a dangerous look that told him not to say anymore to the nearly fuming girl.

“Yeah, sure,” the daughter of Aphrodite said curtly, then turned on her heel, nearly marching off in the direction of the dining pavilion.

“Dude, you’re in trouble,” Leo stated, grinning before he jogged off after Piper.

Jason watched them go for a few moments more before turning and stepping back into his cabin, closing the door behind him quietly. He looked towards the bed as he heard Nico rousing from his sleep, his dark lashes fluttering before his lids sliding open to reveal deep brown orbs. Jason offered him a smile and in return Nico groaned softly, burrowing further beneath the covers until only his eyes and the top of his head showed. “Good morning to you too,” Jason mumbled teasingly as he walked over to the bed, pulling the covers from the grumbling boy’s face.

“Stop it, I’m cold,” Nico murmured, pulling the covers back up to his face.

Jason snorted and pulled the covers from the teen’s face once again, “So I noticed.”

“Grace, if you don’t leave me alone, I will breathe all over you. My morning breath is terrible,” Nico threatened, his eyes glinting deviously.

Jason made a sour face and pulled the covers over Nico’s face. “I have spare toothbrushes in my bathroom.”

“Whatever.”

Jason’s brows rose defiantly and he silently moved forward, then scooped Nico out of bed, covers and all, and carried him to the bathroom. “Jason!” Nico protested as he was gently deposited onto the floor in front of the sink.

Jason smirked as Nico narrowed his eyes, the boy’s dark eyes glinting irritably. “Toothbrushes are in that cabinet, toothpaste is in there too,” Jason stated, picking up his own toothbrush from its place on the sink.

Nico grumbled incoherently, the words sounding suspiciously like cursing as he pulled himself to his feet, squinting at the harsh light that emanated above the sink. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Jason scoffed, squirting a bit of toothpaste onto the bristles of his toothbrush.

“Shut up,” Nico growled, yanking open a cabinet and snatching out a toothbrush and a box of toothpaste.

Jason glanced over at Nico as he began brushing his teeth, noticing the boy was having a bit of trouble opening the toothbrush package. “Need some help?” Jason mumbled around his toothbrush, holding out his free hand and gesturing for the package containing the toothbrush.

Nico scowled and turned, giving Jason his back. “I know how to open a stupid package…thingy.”

“Do you?”

The younger teen ignored him, and by the time Jason had finished brushing his teeth along with washing his face, the son of Hades was still struggling with the parcel. “Nico, give it here,” Jason commanded, his tone dripping with amusement as he turned off the running water and placed his toothbrush into its respective place.

“I’ve got i—.”

Jason reached over Nico’s shoulder and quickly plucked the packet from his hands before the boy could protest. “Nico, you do realize there are instructions to open the pack, right?” Jason couldn’t hide his joking smile as the younger teen moved towards him and studied the toothbrush package.

“No there’s—.”

“They’re right here,” Jason pointed out before he tore open the package and handed the toothbrush to the younger demigod. “Tada.”

Nico snatched the toothbrush from his hands, after giving Jason a nearly petulant glare, his dark brows pinching together while his lower lip unintentionally poked out. “There’s no need to pout, Neeks,” Jason teased, grinning as Nico’s pout became more prominent.

“I’m not pouting. And stop calling me that!”

“Then what’s this doing out here?” Jason questioned, brushing his index finger over Nico’s lower lip.

Jason watched cheekily as a light pink blush rose to the younger’s teen’s cheeks and the son of Hades sucked his lower lip into his mouth, casting the older teen a stubborn look. Grinning, Jason reached out and brushed Nico’s rebellious locks from off of his forehead. “What’s this I see?” Jason let his lips part dramatically as the tip of his fingers danced over Nico’s right cheek. “Is the great Ghost King…blushing?”

The color on Nico’s cheeks darkened to a hot pink as the younger teen released his lower lip from his mouth. “No, I’m not,” the son of Hades nearly sputtered, his blush darkening even more at his own words.

“I think you are. Your cheeks are nearly the color of the pomegranates you love so dearly. I wonder what’s got you so flustered.” Jason tried to hide his smile, but he could tell he was failing terribly as Nico scowled at him.

“Asshole,” the younger teen muttered, turning to the sink to brush his teeth, studiously ignoring the son of Jupiter.

Jason chuckled softly, giving up on antagonizing the younger demigod as his multiple attempts were shot down. “Join me when you’re finished,” Jason requested, wiggling his brows at Nico’s reflection in the mirror, his grin widening as the light pink blush remained on the younger half-blood’s cheeks.

The son of Jupiter turned and walked out of the bathroom, making his way over to his dresser and pulling out the drawer that contained his not-so-secret stash of goodies. He had just finished setting a portion of the food in the drawer on his bed when he heard the water from the sink shut off and Nico’s footsteps drawing closer. He couldn’t help but smile at Nico’s astonished expression as he took in all of the food spread out on the mattress. “Gods, Jason. I never knew the Golden Boy broke the rules,” Nico muttered, casually walking over to the bed.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Just eat something.”

Nico studied the food on the bed before his gaze shifted elsewhere dismissively. “I’m not hungry,” the younger teen’s gaze glided over to the statue of Zeus positioned in the middle of the room.

Jason caught Nico’s wrist before he could wander away from the side of the bed to study the statue more closely. “You’re not hungry…?” he questioned skeptically.

“I just said that, didn’t I?” Nico grumbled, tugging on Jason’s grip of his wrist.

Jason snorted and gently yanked the younger teen closer to him, noting the startled noise the son of Hades made as he soon found himself nearly face to face with the older teen. “Remember that little talk we had the other day about your weight and how I suggested you eat more?” Jason asked nonchalantly.

Nico glared at him fiercely before his wrenched his wrist free of Jason’s grip and snatched up a parcel containing chocolate chip cookies. “Happy?” the younger teen grumbled as he tore back the sheath and shoved a cookie into his mouth.

Jason’s brows rose as he heard Nico cough around the cookie. “I’d be happier if you didn’t choke yourself though.”

“Whatever,” Nico mumbled around the mouthful of cookies.

Jason made a face as he felt a few crumbs spray his face with the younger teen’s words. “Well that was gross.”

Nico lips twisted into something that closely resembled a smile, then it was gone as soon as it had appeared. Jason watched the younger teen carefully, picking out his next words warily. “Nico…?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we talk about last night?”

Jason noticed the way the son of Hades tensed, a defensive look rising on his face. “What’s there to talk about?” the younger teen asked, his voice strained.

“I just…don’t want to see you like that anymore.”

If it was possible, the younger demigod tensed even further, a cynical smile teasing the corner of his lips. “I get that I was pathetic, Grace—.”

“Stop _doing_ that.”

“Doing what?” Nico asked, looking up from the tray of cookies in his lap.

“Assuming that everyone thinks the worst of you.”

“Most people do.”

“Well if you haven’t noticed by now, I’m not most people.”

“Of course you’re not; you’re the _Golden Boy_ ,” Nico spat bitterly, “Son of the king of the gods, savior and former praetor of Camp Jupiter, champ of Camp Half-Blood, you’re fucking _perfect_.”

Jason made a sound close to a growl deep in his throat that caused the younger teen’s eyes to widen in surprise. “So you have that same shallow viewing of me too? I’m more than just my feats and my father’s son, dammit! I want to be seen as more than that. I make mistakes like everyone else, my shit stinks just like everyone else’s; _I’m not perfect_. So stop assuming everything I do is without fault,” Jason snarled, standing up from the bed and glaring down at the younger demigod who was staring at him, obviously shocked by his words and actions.

“Jason—.”

The son of Jupiter waved the son of Hades off dismissively, stalking over to the door but pausing as he felt tentative arms wrap around his torso from behind. “I…I’m sorry. I don’t see you like that,” Nico broke off, speaking the last part softly, “It’s just…you’re different from everyone else, and I don’t know how to react to it.”

Jason let out a quiet sigh as he physically and mentally relaxed, turning and wrapping the younger teen in his arms securely. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

Nico shrugged, shyly burrowing his head further in Jason’s chest. “I deserved it.”

“No you didn’t.”

“I did—.”

“Don’t you dare argue with me,” Jason growled teasingly.

“Fine,” Nico murmured glancing up from Jason’s chest curiously.

“What?” Jason asked after a moment of being studied closely.

“Nothing,” Nico pulled away from the older teen and turned back to the bed where he picked up his tray of cookies once more. Surprisingly, Jason was disappointed by the action.

“Let’s go out,” the older demigod suggested, pushing aside the food on the bed in favor of sprawling out on the mattress.

“I don’t feel like it,” Nico shoved some of the food further up to the headboard and unconsciously settled himself in the crook Jason’s arm, his smaller frame pressed against the larger one.

Jason looked down at the son of Hades who was casually nibbling on a cookie, his head slightly resting on the older teen’s chest. “We need to do something, Neeks. I’m not going to let you stay cooped up in here wallowing in your sadness.”

“Stop calling me that,” the younger demigod snapped halfheartedly, deliberately ignoring the other part of the sentence Jason had spoken.

“Neeks, Neeks, Neeks.”

Nico rose up from his position on the bed, slightly staring down at Jason and giving him a deadpanned look. “Let’s go somewhere,” Jason proposed again, absently reaching up and stroking the back of Nico’s neck, causing the younger teen to sigh softly and lean into the touch.

“Where?” Nico murmured, surprising the older teen by lying back down and curling up against his side, his head fully rested on Jason’s chest.

“How about…Fireworks Beach?”

When Nico didn’t answer, Jason looked down to see the younger teen’s eyes glazed over in bliss, his lids hanging half shut and causing his dark lashes nearly hiding his deep brown orbs. Experimentally, Jason lightly traced his fingertips over the boy’s skin. The younger demigod’s reaction almost simultaneous; Nico made a soft, pleased noise in the back of his throat, his lids falling shut completely as he slid closer to the older half-blood.

Jason repeated the action once more, his eyes widening as Nico nearly crawled onto his torso. Jason immediately recalled Nico’s reaction to his palm against his cool cheek; did his hands hold some sort of…magic powers or mystic shit?

Curiously, Jason studied the palm of his free hand, still stroking Nico’s neck with the other, the boy nearly purring his content at the son of Jupiter’s actions. His hand looked quite normal to him. Whenever he did this to Piper she never reacted as strongly or at all sometimes; so why was Nico so different. “Jason,” Nico whined softly and absently.

Jason looked down and realized his fingers hand stopped moving against Nico’s neck. He restarted his actions, the son of Hades sighing appreciatively at the motion, a small smile lifting the corner of his lips. “Nico.”

“Hmmm?”

“Let’s go to Fireworks Beach.”

“Yeah…beach.”

Jason chuckled softly as Nico shifted closer, his rebellious dark locks sprawled across the older teen chest. “Can you shadow travel us there?”

“Mhm, shadow travel.”

Jason opened his mouth to speak again, but his voice was lost as he felt as if he were rushing through a dark tunnel, strange sounds barely reaching his ears, and then it all stopped and he found himself relaxing in the sand, Nico still curled up next to him. But the catch was that this wasn’t a beach he recognized. “Nico?”

The younger teen hummed softly, his eyes remaining shut. “Nico!” Jason removed his hand from the son of Hades’ neck and with his free hand snapped his fingers sharply in the younger demigod’s face.

“What?” Nico grumbled, pulling himself into a sitting position in the sand, “Hey, where are we?”

“That’s just what I was about ask you,” Jason stated, as he looked around the expanse of the beach, searching for a clue.

“Virginia Beach,” Nico stated curiously, “Why the hell did I take us here? I’ve never even _been_ here.”

“How’d you know that?”

“There’s a sign that says it right there, dumbass.”

Jason scoffed as he stood, wiping the sand from his backside and taking in his surroundings. “No need for name calling.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll just take us back—.”

“No, no. We’re here now, why waste a perfectly good trip to the beach?” Jason grinned down at the younger teen and extended his hand.

The son of Hades glanced at his hand dismissively and pulled himself to his feet on his own, Jason rolling his eyes in return. “You’re in your sleeping clothes and neither of us is wearing shoes, I think we should just go back—.”

“Let’s just—.”

“Would you stop cutting me off?” Nico snapped grumpily.

“Hypocrite, you just did the same thing!” Jason protested.

“But I don’t do it all the—.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I—.”

“Do. You do.”

“Jason!”

Jason couldn’t help the grin that crossed his face as Nico glared at him sulkily, his dark brows pinched together in mild frustration. “Okay, okay, I’m done.”

Nico gave him one last petulant look before he began scanning the area around the beach. “Look, there’s stores everywhere, we can buy what we need—wait, I left all my cash back at camp,” Jason’s hands went to his sides where he realized he had no pockets.

“Ye of little faith,” Nico muttered absently, pulling a wad of cash from the pocket of his dark jeans.

“Where’d you—.”

“Hades is also the god of riches, remember?”

A single blonde brow inched its way up Jason’s forehead. “I knew that, but that has nothing to do with why _you_ have ‘riches’.”

“I robbed a bank,” Nico deadpanned, his dark locks lifting as a slightly breeze came by.

“Hilarious.” Jason rolled his eyes.

“I got it from Dad; it’s allowance.”

“Hades gives you…allowance?” Jason’s eyes widened slightly at the thought.

“Why is that so hard to believe?” Nico questioned, fingering through the cash in his hands.

“Uh, because it’s _Hades_. You know, all skulls and crossbones—.”

“I know, Jason, he’s _my_ father. And why the hell do you think skulls and crossbones when it comes to him?”

“Because he’s the god of death!”

Nico snorted softly, “That’s actually Thanatos, but I get where you’re going with this.”

“See?”

“But still, that’s like me thinking of little cloud fairies and pompous asses when it comes to Zeus—.”

Jason slapped his hand over Nico’s mouth as a distant thunder rumbled in the skies. “Watch it,” Jason hissed softly, studying the sky as if the king of the gods himself would leap down and personally deal with the son of Hades.

Nico yanked Jason’s hand from his mouth, casting the older teen an annoyed glare before he began stomping up the beach. “Nico!” Jason jogged after him, undoubtedly kicking up sand in his path.

“We need to go back to camp, they’re might be monsters here,” Nico murmured resolutely.

“Oh come on! We’ll only be here for a while; an hour, tops,” Jason objected, jumping in front of the younger demigod and placing his hands on his shoulders to stop any further movement forward.

“Why are you always touching me?” Nico muttered uncomfortably, pausing as he averting his gaze.

Jason paused, lowering his eyes as he considered the question himself. Why _was_ he always touching Nico? “I-I don’t know,” Jason stated softly and unsurely as he removed his hands from the younger teen’s shoulders.

He realized he never really touched Piper as much as he did Nico; which meant he touched the son of Hades _a lot_ , seeing as people had always told him he seemed to touch his girlfriend nonstop. “…son? Jason?”

Jason shook his head clear of the thoughts as he focused back on the boy standing before him. “Sorry.”

One of Nico’s dark brows rose inquisitively. “For what?”

“Touching you all the time, I know you don’t like it when other people do it, so—.”

“But you’re not other people,” Nico said quietly, then a little louder, “So I don’t mind it, I was just curious.”

For reasons unknown, Jason felt warm all over at those words. He offered the younger teen a small smile and nodding towards the stores littering the area around the beach. “An hour, tops,” he repeated.

Nico gave a small sigh as he rolled his eyes begrudgingly. “Fine.”

Jason’s smile stretched into a grin and his grabbed Nico’s wrist loosely, tugging him to the first shop that he spotted. “This is going to be great!”

~*~

About twenty minutes later the two teens were decked out in new beach attire, Jason dressed in white swim trunks and a plain light blue tee, while Nico was dressed in his usual black t-shirt but instead of his typical black jeans, he was wearing black swimming trunks that the son of Jupiter had convinced him to buy. “This is gonna be great,” Jason exclaimed, smiling optimistically at the son of Hades who was currently scowling and tugging at his swim shorts uncomfortably.

“Yeah, sure,” Nico grumbled, balling up his towel in arms as they moved further along the beach to a more sparsely populated area.

The duo stopped after a few minutes, deciding to situate themselves in space where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Jason laid out his towel and dropped his supplies atop the fabric before he stared at the large expanse of water before him. He kicked off his flip-flops and tugged off his t-shirt after a few moments and dropped down into the sand to search through his materials. “What are you doing?” Nico questioned, his cheeks lightly tinted pick though he was obviously perplexed by the son of Jupiter’s actions.

“Looking for the sunscreen,” Jason muttered, his blonde brows drawing together when he didn’t find the object.

“It’s right here…but why do you need it?”

“Because I’m going to swim,” Jason stated, reaching for the bottle in Nico’s hands.

The younger demigod moved it out reach as his fingertips brushed over the plastic. “Why?”

“It’s the beach, that’s what you do at the beach, Neeks. Give it here.”

Nico’s brows rose as he scooted out of Jason’s reach once more, the blush still remaining on his pale cheeks. “One, stop calling me that. Two, I thought we were just going to hang out, or whatever it was that you said.”

Jason plucked the bottle from the younger demigod’s hands when he was distracted by a seagull that flew a little too close. “We can hang out in the water,” Jason flipped open the cap and squirted a few globs of the substance into his palm before he began slathering it onto his bare skin.

“Here,” Jason handed the bottle to the son of Hades after he had finished applying it to himself.

Nico moved to put the bottle away but Jason stopped him. “No, put it on.”

“Why?” Nico studied the bottle in his hands curiously before he looked back up at Jason.

“So that you don’t get sunburn; just…don’t be so stubborn, put it on.”

“I’ll pass,” Nico dismissively tossed the sunscreen onto the sand beside him and pulled his knees to his chest.

Jason made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat and reached over the younger half-blood and snatched the bottle out of the sand. Without preamble he lightly grabbed one of Nico’s arms and squirted a glob of sunscreen onto his forearm. “Oops,” he muttered, quite unapologetically as he began spreading the substance around on the boy’s pale skin.

“What the hell, Jason?!” Nico squirmed, attempting to tug his appendage from the older teen’s grasp but paused as Jason tossed him an amused glance.

“It’s on now, might as well get it over with, yes?”

“No,” the son of Hades growled, his struggling starting up anew and with increased vigor this time around.

Jason rolled his eyes and reached up, thumping the younger teen square in the center of his forehead in admonishment. “It’s not optional.”

The son of Jupiter’s brows rose as Nico’s jaw dropped open slightly at his action. Jason placed two fingers beneath the younger demigod’s chin, closing his mouth with a soft sound. “Did you just… _thump_ me?” Nico sputtered as Jason continued rubbing the substance into his skin.

“I did,” Jason responded casually, pushing up the sleeve of Nico’s t-shirt to get the sunscreen on his shoulder.

“Who do you think you are to—why would you…?”

“Which question would you like for me to answer first?” Jason murmured, turning Nico to get to his other arm.

“You’re…infuriating!”

“Am I?”

“Yes, and you’re annoying, and…and irritating!”

“I pretty sure those mean exactly the same thing,” Jason finished up with Nico’s arms and moved on to his legs.

“Stop that,” Nico snapped, slapping Jason’s hands away.

“You stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Being so difficult,” Jason glanced up, nearly grinning at that look of agitation up Nico’s face.

“Get off, I can do it by myself,” Nico growled, snatching the bottle from Jason’s hands.

Jason’s hands rose defensively as he watched Nico angrily apply the substance to his pale skin. “There,” Nico stated huffily as he set the bottle aside.

“No, you need to put it on your chest and back.”

“W-What?! Why?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve explained this already.”

Jason smiled slightly as Nico’s face darkened to a hot pink color. “Here, I’ll help you put it on your back—,” the son of Jupiter stopped as the younger teen shook his head adamantly.

“Nico…?”

“I’m fine, I don’t need it anywhere else.”

“But—.”

“I’m _fine_.”

Jason frowned at that, noting the way Nico’s body had tensed and decided to drop the subject. “Alright, but you still have to swim with me.”

“Not happening.”

“Why not?” Jason nearly whined.

“Because I don’t like swimming.”

Jason’s brows furrowed at that, and he studied the younger teen closely. “How come?”

“Because.”

“Because…?”

“I just don’t. End of story.”

“Come _on_ , Nico. Please just swim with me?” Jason leaned over, attempting to catch the younger half-blood’s eyes.

“No,” Nico’s gaze flitted away.

Jason was tempted to reach over and run his fingertips over the back of the boy’s neck, just to see if it would change his mind. But he didn’t think Nico would appreciate that very much, no matter how good it felt. “But—.”

“I said no, Jason.”

Then it clicked. “You can’t swim,” Jason stated surely, his voice full of what he thought was subtle shock.

Jason was positive of his answer as Nico tensed and remained silent, his lips straightening into a thin line. “I’ll teach you!” Jason grinned as he stood, grasping Nico’s hand in his own and pulling him to his feet.

Jason pulled Nico behind him, ignoring the younger boy’s struggles as they neared the shore. “Let _go_ ,” Nico demanded frantically as they drew nearer to the currently retreating water.

Jason stopped when they were close enough so that the water tickled their toes. “Do you trust me?” the son of Jupiter’s tone was sober, any and all teasing gone.

“Yes, but that has nothing to do with—.”

“It has everything to do with this. I won’t let you drown, Nico, I swear it on the River St—.”

Jason’s words were interrupted when the younger half-blood slapped his hand over the older teen’s mouth. “I get it, don’t make unnecessary promises, especially ones that you can’t keep,” Nico hissed softly.

“I _can_ keep that promise,” Jason protested indignantly as the boy’s hand moved from his mouth.

“You’re a son of Zeus—.”

“Jupiter.”

“Tomato, _tomato_ ,” Nico snapped, “Still, this is _Poseidon’s_ domain, we shouldn’t test him.”

“But—wait.”

Jason released the younger teen’s hand in favor of jogging back over to their belongings and snatching a few of the snacks they had bought from their bags. Nico water him curiously as he began digging a semi-deep hole in the sand. Jason stood from his squatting position and darted over to an area he had remembered from earlier that held the things he currently needed. When he returned, his arms were full of stray sticks. “What _are_ you doing?” Nico asked, his head tilting to the side.

“You’ll see,” Jason muttered distractedly as he tossed the sticks into the hole.

Focusing all of his attention on the spot where the hole was dug, light thunder rumbled above before a single strike of lightning hit the spot with a fairly loud popping noise. Jason looked up as he heard Nico yelp and saw the younger teen dashing out of the way of the strike in surprise. A smile lifted the corners of his lips as he heard the telltale crackle of burning wood in the pit before the small fire began growing. “Jason, what the hell?!” Nico growled, his eyes slightly widened in astonishment.

“Stop pouting,” Jason murmured as he tore into the packages that contained various snacking items.

“I am _not_ pouting!” the son of Hades snapped, his voice full of agitation.

Jason ignored him as he dumped a bag of chips into the fire, then lowered his head, muttering a soft prayer to Poseidon asking that he be merciful when he and Nico were in the water. After he finished, a slight breeze picked up, the smell of saltwater much stronger than it had been before. Jason made a pleased noise in the back of his throat as the water seemed to become gentler than it had been before.

“Your turn,” Jason tossed Nico another bag of chips and backed away from the fire, motioning for the younger teen to take his place.

Nico, still sulking over the fact that he had nearly been hit by lightning, approached the fire and lowered his chin, his lips moving in a silent prayer. Jason waited patiently as the young half-blood finished, then began kicking sand over the slowly dying embers.

After the fire was successfully buried beneath piles of sand, Jason motioned for Nico to follow him back to the shore. Warily, the younger boy approached the shore after sliding out of his flip flops. Jason held out his hand, expectantly wiggling his fingers at the son of Hades who in return, stared at his unturned hand cautiously. “Come on, Neeks, I won’t bite,” Jason gave him a teasing wink to emphasize his soft spoken words.

“Stop talking to me like I’m five,” Nico muttered ill temperedly as he turned to stare at the large expanse of water stretched out before him.

Jason sighed to himself as he dropped his hand back down to his side and took a few steps farther into the water until he was forced to stop due to the chills the cold water was sending up his spine. “Oh fuck it,” Jason nearly growled, deciding to get over the cold all at once.

He waded further into the water until he was waist deep then dropped down onto his backside, submerging himself in the cool saltwater. After a moment’s hesitation, he forced his eyes open and stared at the nearly clear blue water surrounding him. Jason let a small smile tug at the corner of his lips before it fell as he felt something grab onto his hair and yank him to the surface. “What the—,” the son of Jupiter sputtered, wiping the water from his eyes as the hand released his blonde locks.

“What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?!” Jason heard Nico nearly screech as he continued wiping water from his eyes.

“What do mean ‘what’s wrong with me’?” he questioned after his eyes were free of any water.

“Do you think you’re a fucking son of Poseidon or something? You were under there for a little more than fifteen seconds! I thought you drowned,” the son of Hades finished, the anger in his voice giving way to genuine concern and dread.

Jason clasped his hand over the boy’s shoulder, his eyes widening as he felt how badly he was trembling with… _fear_? For _him_? “Nico, hey, I’m okay,” the older demigod reassured the younger one.

“Don’t you ever do that again, you hear me?” Nico demanded, his voice quivering lightly.

“I’m sorry.”

Jason gnawed on his lower lip worriedly when the younger half-blood didn’t respond. Nico’s head was slightly hung low, his raven colored hair hanging in his face, shielding his eyes from the older hero. “Neeks, I’m sor—.”

Jason made a surprised noise in the back of his throat when the younger teen threw his arms around his neck, grasping him tightly. Jason felt Nico burrow his head in the place between his neck and shoulder and in return he slowly—and quite cautiously—wrapped his arms around the boy’s still clothed torso. “You scared the shit out of me, Grace,” Nico admitted softly, still not releasing the older teen, but burying his head further in the crook of Jason’s neck.

The son of Jupiter was still slightly taken aback by the younger demigod’s actions, but quickly got a grip on himself in favor of answering the teen. “I didn’t mean to,” he murmured, tightening his grip on Nico’s torso.

“I highly doubt that,” Nico mumbled.

Jason smiled into the raven hair, his senses overwhelmed by the boy’s warm, earthy scent. “Think what you want,” he stated teasingly, rocking to the side slightly and taking the younger teen with him.

“Ow, stop,” Nico complained, “You’re hurting my toes.”

Jason pulled back in favor of grinning cheekily at the young demigod. “You’re on your toes?”

“Well if you haven’t realized it, I’m not the tallest half-blood,” Nico snorted as he removed his head from Jason’s shoulder, a familiar blush rising on his porcelain cheeks.

“That’s what makes you so…,” Jason paused in shock, finishing the sentence in his head. _Cute_.

Since when did he think Nico di Angelo was…cute? The son of Jupiter intensely studied the younger teen’s features, then after a moment he came to the realization that Nico was in fact cute, and even _more_ than that if he could say so himself. The boy had graceful high cheekbones that were nearly tickled by the half-blood's sooty lashes whenever the younger demigod blinked or closed his eyes. Despite his reputation of being frigid and inexplicably cold, the son of Hades’ deep brown eyes said otherwise to Jason, at least when they were around one another. Nico’s skin had taken on a more healthy alabaster color; he was still pale, but his skin looked less sickly with everyday he had spent outside of the Underworld and the dark rings underneath his eyes had begun to fade every so slightly due to the fact that the young teen had been getting more sleep; before he could have passed for a child of Hypnos. Lastly, the teen had naturally pink tinted full, pouty lips that Jason had overheard a few girls from the Aphrodite cabin whispering wistfully about.

“Gods,” Jason murmured softly, not realizing he had spoken the words aloud as he continued studying the teen’s features.

“What?” Nico’s head tilted to the side slightly in confusion, his dark locks following the movement as his black brows rose.

“You’re…you’re,” the son of Jupiter stuttered, completely transfixed by boy before him.

“I’m what?” the son of Hades asked warily, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Gods that made him even _cuter_ if that was at all possible, Jason decided as he continued staring at the demigod in awe. “You’re staring at me the way Persephone stares at flowers after six months of being cooped up in the Underworld,” Nico pointed out when Jason didn’t answer.

Jason’s mouth flapped open and shut repeatedly as he tried to find the words that appeared to be eluding his grasp as his brain seemed to gradually turn to mush. It didn’t exactly help much when the boy’s lips tipped down, accentuating his natural pout. Jason knew that there were words coming out of those lips, but all he could focus on was their shape and the way they moved. How was Nico not a child of Venus or Eros? He could give some of the Venus campers a run for their money at both camps with that face of his which seemed to be dampered by the younger teen’s attitude and his constant use of profanity. Speaking of which, Jason was sure he could make out a few strings of curses coming from those beau—lips. Just lips.

“Stop ignoring me,” Nico demanded petulantly as Jason tuned back in to the conversation.

“Sorry,” the son of Jupiter muttered, averting his gaze as Nico’s arms slid from around his neck.

“Are you feeling alright?” Nico asked, attempting to catch the older teen’s eyes.

Jason cleared his throat and fixed his megawatt smile on his lips, turning back to the younger demigod, careful not to let his eyes stray back to the boy’s features, yet still not meeting the teen’s eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. Now, let’s start that swim lesson I promised you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter soon, hopefully. [:


	5. You Can Make Me Do Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He's an outcast, Jason."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I have been a very busy chick lately.  
> Sorry for the later-than-usual post, but it's here now.  
> Thanks a bunch for all of the kudos and comments, it means a lot to see how many people enjoy my story. [':  
> As always, suggestions are appreciated, praise for the story is loved, criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy the story. [:

** Nico’s POV **

Jason was acting strange. This was saying something seeing as he always seemed to be doing and saying endearing yet bizarre things whenever they hung out. But this…this was new to Nico. Jason had always been a confident and straightforward guy, which was why the son of Hades was puzzled when the older teen refused to meet his eyes though he had always done so of his own accord. So what was his deal? “ _Jason_ ,” Nico snapped irritably; this was the eighth time the son of Jupiter had spaced out while staring at him.

Nico huffed as Jason’s sky blue eye’s cleared, and the older teen’s gaze quickly flitted away as he scratched the back of his neck, his feet shifting in the sand of the shore they had eventually returned to. “Sorry,” Jason muttered, looking anywhere but at the son of Hades.

In an act of pure agitation, Nico reached up, grasping Jason’s chin in his hand and jerking the older demigod’s face back in his direction where their eyes met, until the former praetor’s sight shifted away once more. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Nico questioned, still tightly grasping Jason’s chin in his fingers.

“Nothing, I told you, I’m fine,” Jason stated vaguely.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” Nico snarled, his control over his temper nearly dissipating.

“Bossy, bossy, bossy,” Jason mumbled teasingly, his voice seemingly empty as his eyes slowly but surely met Nico’s.

“Now, what’s your problem?” Nico inquired, his voice leaving no room for any of the joking comments Jason always seemed to make.

“I keep telling you, I’m _fine_.”

“Bullshit.”

“Not exactly.”

“Why won’t you tell me? I’m only trying to help you—.”

“Maybe it’s because I don’t need your help,” Jason growled so brusquely it caused the younger teen to jump, and release the older teen’s chin, his brown eyes widening.

Nico took a step back from the son of Jupiter as the older teen quickly saw his mistake and quickly attempted to fix it. “Neeks, I didn’t mean it like that,” Jason reached out to the younger demigod, but the raven haired boy took another step back, eluding the blonde’s touch.

“Whatever,” Nico grumbled, turning on his heel, heading off in the direction of their belongings.

He was brought to a halt as Jason’s lightly tanned arms wrapped around his small frame. “I’m sorry,” Jason murmured, dropping his head to Nico’s shoulder.

Ignoring the mysterious warmth Jason brought him, Nico squirmed in his grasp. “Let _go_ ,” he hissed, struggling against Jason’s strong arms.

“No, not until you accept my apology.”

Nico paused as he felt his anger slowly seeping away, much to his annoyance. “Okay, okay, just let me go.”

“Fine.”

Nico could hear the smile in the older teen’s voice as he was released from those arms. The son of Hades looked over his shoulder as he felt Jason tug on the back of his t-shirt. “Come back to the water with me,” Jason suggested, his eyes lighting up along with the genuine smile that formed on his lips, the little scar there seeming to accent the mischievous glint in the older teen’s baby blue eyes.

“I already went with you,” Nico huffed, his eyes narrowing in slight agitation.

“But we didn’t swim.”

“Yeah, that’s because you spent nearly fifteen minutes staring at me weirdly,” Nico snorted bluntly.

Much to the younger half-blood’s surprise a pink hue began to take up residence in the older teen’s cheeks, making the lightly tanned skin seem as if it was glowing. “Are you—?” Nico could barely get the words out as a shit eating grin spread across his lips.

“No. No, I’m not,” Jason sputtered, turning his head in an attempt to save face.

“Son of a bitch, you _are_ blushing!” the son of Hades exclaimed, leaning to the side to better see the older hero’s features.

“So vulgar,” Jason muttered absently in an effort to change the subject.

“Yeah, so what? We already knew that; what I didn’t know was that the all mighty and confident Jason Grace could even _get_  embarrassed, or go as far as to blush!” the younger teen cackled, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Oh shut up.”

Nico laughed even harder as the color in Jason’s cheeks darkened to a hot pink color. “Oh my gods, this is great,” the younger hero gasped out, doubling over in laughter.

However, his laughter was cut short as he felt the older teen lift him up, hefting him over one semi-broad shoulder. The next thing he knew, he was in the air and seeing as he was a son of the Underworld, he simply panicked. “Put me down!” Nico demanded, his feeling of glee long gone as a feeling of terror took over.

“Fine,” Jason said compliantly, sliding the younger teen from off of his shoulder.

Nico’s feeling of relief was short lived as Jason dropped him the short distance from the air and to the water. _Two terrors in one day, just great_ , Nico thought bitterly as he began sinking to the bottom, his backside hitting the sandy surface after a few seconds.

 _Okay, okay, I’ve got this_. The son of Hades attempted to shadow travel out of the water and to the shore, but immediately realized his mistake; where could he locate shadows in the bright sun illuminated waters?

The young Italian surged through the water, his head breaking through the clear, pristine saltwater surface. He had just enough time to take in a gulp of air before he sunk beneath the surface once more. _I think I’m going to die_ , Nico thought, slightly panicked at the thought.

 _I wonder what Father would think about a death by drowning._ He could hear it now, ‘How dishonorable of you, boy. If Bianca were still alive she would never get herself into a situation so pitiful such as this. Now go to your room!’ Yep, the god of the Underworld would probably send Nico’s spirit to his room and the teen would be grounded for all of eternity due to his fatal, yet pathetic mistake. Then he would probably use Nico’s death as an excuse to declare war on Poseidon and Zeus, seeing as he died in the sea god’s domain as a result of a child of Zeus’s, or Jupiter’s, indiscretion; though he obviously didn’t care much for his son anyway.

He’d probably end up as one of the most hated demigods to ever grace the Earth just because he was the catalyst of his father’s corrupt plans. Well, at least he’d be able to keep Persephone company during her six month stay in the Underworld. The goddess _had_ reluctantly begun to warm up to him and he dare say she even enjoyed his presence during his stays at the palace.

Nico’s train of thought was interrupted as he felt the water move strangely around him, forming a sort of cushion as it propelled him in the direction he could only guess was the shore. Moments later he was spat back up on the sandy beach, coughing and hacking up saltwater that had made its way down his throat. “Nico!”

The son of Hades ignored the older teen as he came rushing to his side, instead choosing to glance out at the sparkling expanse of blue before him and give the god of the seas a silent thanks as he wiped water from his eyes. “Oh my gods, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry—.”

“Take me home,” Nico demanded coldly and quite breathlessly as he stared down at the sand, heaving as he forced air into his abused lungs.

The younger half-blood bristled as he felt Jason’s fingers dance over his shoulder, nervously checking him over. “Don’t touch me,” the young hero hissed, jerking away from the older demigod.

He could nearly visualize the son of Jupiter’s hurt expression at his actions as the older half-blood retreated, only to return with a towel and wrap it around the boy’s trembling shoulders. Nico clutched the ends of the fabric, pulling it tighter around his shoulders to ease his fright more than his chilliness.

Nico stiffened as he felt Jason’s fingers forcing his chin up and he jerked away from the warm skin, his lips thinning into a straight line. “I could have killed you,” Jason stated absently, his voice dripping with regret.

The son of Hades looked up at that, taking in Jason’s crestfallen appearance. The older teen’s shoulders were slumped and his head was lowered, his body so tense Nico was surprised he hadn’t snapped yet. What the son of Jupiter had said was true, and Nico had every right to be furious with him, but for some reason, he had the strange urge to comfort the teen though he had been the one on the brink of death. “I’m fine,” Nico muttered awkwardly as his anger began to seep away and he glanced back down at the ground.

“That great and all, but I could have _killed you_. What the hell was I thinking?!”

Nico nearly let a small smile tip up the corners of his lips as he looked back up at Jason, the older demigod obviously lost in his guilt. “Stop fretting, Grace, I said I was fine.”

“You always say you’re fine, even when you’re not,” the son of Jupiter muttered, his azure orbs still fixed on the sand distantly.

Nico rolled his eyes at that as he pulled his knees up to his chest. “Whatever.”

Jason blinked away the cloudiness in his eyes quickly as he fixed his intense gaze back on Nico. “We should probably go back to camp; some of the campers from the Apollo cabin can probably look you over—.”

“I said I was _fine_.”

“You might have water in your lungs, Neeks. I might not be a son of Neptune, but I know there is such a thing as drowning on land.”

“Could you quit calling me that? Where did you even _get_ that from?”

Jason shrugged halfheartedly as his eyes roamed over the younger demigod, visually inspecting him as best as he could. “I don’t know, it just came to me one day. Anyhow, it works for you.”

Nico huffed ill-temperedly, “No, it doesn’t!”

“I’m not going to stop calling you ‘Neeks’, so you’d better get used to it,” Jason murmured as he grasped Nico’s chin, turning the boy’s head from side to side.

Nico slapped Jason’s hand away in frustration, something akin to a growl building up in the back of his throat. “Whoa there, kitten,” Jason’s hands rose defensively as his eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Don’t you dare start calling me that either,” Nico growled, his lids lowering dangerously until his deep brown eyes were barely showing through the slit his lids created.

“Hmm, kitten; I didn’t even think of that one.”

Nico stiffened as Jason watched him closely, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth. “Kitten, yeah, I think it works for you.”

“Kitten?” Nico scowled, “That’s something you’d call a girl. Save it for Piper, or something.”

Jason shook his head adamantly, “But she doesn’t remind me of a kitten. You do. Therefore, I will now call you, Kitten.”

The son of Hades made an irritated sound as he began ringing out his shirt, spreading his legs ever so slightly so that the water wouldn’t trail down his legs in the process. He glanced up at Jason, whose golden brows were perched inquisitively on his forehead. “Just chuck it,” the older demigod suggested, motioning to the tee, “It’ll dry faster anyways.”

Nico shook his head, clutching the towel around his shoulders tightly. “I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Do I?”

“Yeah, you do.”

The younger demigod shrugged, scooting farther away from the shore as he decided it was time for a change of subject. “Some swim lesson you gave me,” he grumbled, burying his face in the fabric of the towel.

The son of Hades stiffened as he felt Jason’s arms surround him from behind. “Sorry,” the older demigod murmured, dropping his head down to Nico’s shoulder, his blonde hair tickling the pale expanse of the younger half-blood’s neck.

“You’re doing it again,” Nico muttered, shivering as Jason shifted slightly, causing a breeze to glide over his neck and the water droplets on his skin to slide further down his back.

“Doing what?”

“The touching thing.”

“Oh, sorry.”

To Nico’s surprise, the older teen didn’t move away, but instead shifted closer, drawing in a deep breath that caused the corners of the younger hero’s lips to quirk up. “Did you just sniff me?”

“So what if I did?” Jason mumbled.

Nico turned his head to the side slightly, giving Jason a dubious look. “Then you’re stranger than I thought.”

Jason lifted his head, catching Nico’s eyes as he smiled. “I could say the same for you.”

Nico opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as he felt Jason’s fingers brush over the back of his neck in an attempt to wipe away the cool water droplets. _Damn him_ , the son of Hades thought as his lids lowered and he let out a soft sigh of bliss.

“…ico, Earth to Neeks.”

“Hmm?” Nico hummed, his head lazily swinging in the direction of Jason’s voice.

“Yeah, I’m totally calling you kitten.”

“Mmmkay.” _Wait, wait, no. Tell him no, di Angelo!_

Nico ignored his own voice, instead letting his lids fall completely shut as he leaned into Jason’s touch. “You ready to go back to camp?” Jason asked softly, his fingers tracing languid swirls on the back of Nico’s neck.

“Camp?”

“Camp Half-Blood; how about you shadow travel us there?”

“Yeah, kay.”

After a few moments of inactivity, Jason removed his fingers from Nico’s neck, giving the younger of the two an amused smile. “Alright, Kitten, let’s get going back to camp.”

Nico snapped out of his stupor and growled softly at the unofficial nickname as he unceremoniously grabbed onto Jason’s hand, envisioning the inside of Cabin 1. A few seconds later, the two and all of their supplies were transported to Jason’s cabin and onto his bed. A startled noise coming from the front of the room had Jason quickly releasing Nico, much to the younger boy’s relief when he caught sight of who the apparent “intruder” was. “Ah, hey, Pipes,” Jason slid off of the bed, scratching the back of his neck as he shuffled over to where his girlfriend was positioned at the foot of the statue of Zeus.

Nico felt his face heat up as Piper’s gaze fell on him; he was usually good at reading people’s expressions, but hers was currently undecipherable. “Nico, do you mind giving us a moment alone?” Piper asked calmly, her voice devoid of any emotion as she stood on her own, ignoring Jason’s outstretched hand, much to the latter’s dismay.

“Yeah, sure,” the son of Hades mumbled, sifting through their beach items to find his clothing as he carefully slid off of the bed.

“Hey, Neeks, if you want, you could take a shower,” Jason offered, his hands fidgeting nervously at his sides.

“Uh, okay.”

“And…I have some stuff you can wear for when you get out,” Jason moved over to his dresser and pulled open a drawer quickly and fished out a pair of blue-plaid pajama pants and a dark gray tee.

Nico mumbled his thanks as Jason handed him the clothing. “You might want to grab a shirt for yourself, _Jay_ ,” Piper quipped stonily as she resettled herself on a spare bed positioned against the wall closest to the door.

“Of course,” Jason gave Nico an anxious glance as he moved towards the dresser once more.

“Nico?” Piper motioned to the bathroom, giving the boy a small smile that didn’t quite reach her kaleidoscope eyes.

The teen in question quickly padded over to the bathroom, diligently keeping his head down until he reached a shower stall. _Well that was awkward_ , he thought as he pulled open the shower curtain and stepped inside the stall, slipping out of his flip flops in the process. Nico stripped out of his damp clothing and tossed the fabrics outside of the shower haphazardly as a soft murmur of voices began in the other room. Not wishing to intrude on the conversation, Nico quickly switched on the shower, biting down on his lower lip to stop a yelp from escaping as a torrent of cold water cascaded over his bare body. As he adjusted the water temperature, the murmur of voices rose ever so slightly, and even Nico wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t heard his name spoken somewhere in the sentence.

By the time Nico had rinsed himself off and was ready to step out of the shower, the voices had grown louder, alerting the younger teen that he should probably stay in the bathroom a little longer. “—never spend any time together anymore. I _miss_ _you_ , don’t you get that?!” Piper stated loudly, causing Nico to flinch as he stepped out of the shower and began drying himself off.

“What do you want me to do, Piper?! He _needs_ me!” Jason’s tone was dripping with exhausted helplessness as he responded to his girlfriend.

“I need you too!”

“I get that—.”

“Do you really? I’m positive Nico can get by just fine on his own; he was doing it well before you showed up and took him in. You’re _not_ a worker for ASPCA; you don’t have to take in every broken stray you find!”

Nico stiffened simultaneously as Jason made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat. “He’s _not_ broken, nor is he a stray. He belongs right here at Camp Half-Blood.”

“Do you honestly think that? Don’t get me wrong, I like him just fine, but what about the other campers? They don’t accept him here, what don’t you understand about that? He’s an outcast, Jason. He doesn’t fit in with anyone here—hell, he doesn’t even fit in at Camp Jupiter—so why do you try so hard?”

Nico’s heart clenched at the words that he had often repeated to himself on a regular basis. So, he wasn’t the only one who thought that; he shouldn’t be surprised. “I try so hard because _all_ of us are strays! Don’t you get that? We don’t fit in anywhere in the mortal world with the mortals, or in the immortal world with the gods and goddesses, or just the plain immortals. The only places we belong are here and Camp Jupiter, and if he doesn’t belong at either camp, then where does he belong?” Jason paused, waiting for Piper’s answer then continuing when it didn’t come, “Exactly. then he needs someone—.”

“Why does that someone have to be you?!” Piper yelled angrily.

“Why should I wait for it to be someone else?!” Jason shot back, his voice volume matching Piper’s.

“You’re _not_ a superhero—.”

“I never said I was one! I don’t need to be a superhero to help someone who needs somebody by their side. He has no one but Hazel, and she’s always busy at Camp Jupiter. So who does he have then, Piper?”

“He can—.”

“No, answer my question,” Jason demanded sternly, “Who does he have?”

“Myself,” Nico answered coolly, he voice devoid of any emotion as he casually stood in the doorway between the two rooms, dressed in his usual attire of black, battered Converse, black jeans, and a black tee with an intricate skull design on the center. Except this time around he was decked out in the aviator jacket he was well known for, Jason’s borrowed clothing balled in his fist while his other hand held the hilt of his dark sword.

The duo turned quickly, their tense stances falling as their gazes fell on the boy between both rooms. Piper’s eyes dropped to the floor guiltily as Nico glanced over at her, his dark eyes full of nonchalant disdain. “You’re absolutely right, Piper, I don’t belong at either camp. I realize that, but thank you anyway for reminding me why I rarely visit.”

“I…um,” Piper trailed off nervously, her hands rising to fiddle with her choppy strands of hair.

Nico ignored her, and turned to Jason who was watching him carefully for his reaction. “I don’t _need_ , anyone, Grace. I’m just fine on my own. I don’t need you, or _anyone_ else,” the young teen said, his voice returning to its usual cold and detached tone as he dropped Jason’s clothes into a heap on the cool hardwood floor.

“Nico—.”

“If Chiron asks, I’ve gone back to the Underworld,” and with that, Nico brushed past the pair, and to the door, not bothering to look back as he stepped out into the warm afternoon air, sword in hand as the door slammed shut behind him.

He still didn’t look back as he heard the cabin door open then slam shut, footsteps thudding behind him as he made his way to the forest where it would be easier for him to travel to the Underworld due to the shadows the dense forest provided. “Nico!”

The son of Hades rolled his eyes at the sound of Jason’s voice, but didn’t stop, nor did he speed up. Jason skidded to a stop at his side and reached for Nico’s shoulder, but the latter of the two growled softly, dodging the older teen’s hands. “Don’t touch me,” the boy commanded calmly, casting Jason a dangerous glance over his should as he continued on to the woods.

“Can you just stop and listen to me for a moment?” Jason tried, jogging in front of the raven-haired teen in an attempt to stop him.

Nico side steeped him, ignoring his words as he reached the darkness of the forest, where much to his surprise, Jason didn’t follow him, but his words most definitely did. “Coward.”

Nico tensed and froze, his head whipping around to where the son of Jupiter stood, his body poised for battle. “What did you just call me?”

“A coward,” Jason repeated carelessly.

“I am _not_ a coward,” Nico snarled, turning fully to face the older demigod who was now approaching him at a leisurely pace.

“Yes, you are.”

Jason stopped about four feet away from Nico, looking down at the younger teen dispassionately. “I. Am. _Not_ ,” Nico snapped, his fist clenching around the hilt of his sword.

“Then what do you call this? You’re running away. If you’d ask me, I’d say that’s pretty damn cowardly.”

“I’m not running!”

“Then enlighten me. Whatever are you doing?” Jason asked innocently, his blue eyes widening with mock naivety.

“I’m just going home.”

“This _is_ your home, Nico. Screw what everyone else thinks, or feels about you—.”

“I _can’t_.”

“How come?”

“Don’t you get it? How can I call this place ‘home’ when no one gives a _shit_ about me? No one would bat an eyelash if I died; no one even noticed at first when I went missing! No one would miss me when I’m gone, so what’s the point of staying? These people aren’t my family _or_ friends, they’re yours.”

“I give a shit about you. _I’d_ miss you if you were gone. If you died…I’d be devastated,” Nico was startled when Jason’s voice cracked subtly.

“I…”

“Just don’t leave, please?” Jason begged softly, taking a step forward as he reached for one of Nico’s hands.

The younger teen cursed inwardly as he felt his guard begin fall will Jason’s words and actions. “I…I have to,” Nico said softly, stepping out of Jason’s reach.

“No, you don’t,” Jason crossed the distance between them, snatching up Nico’s hand in the process. “If you go to the Underworld, you’re taking me with you.”

The young hero sighed quietly, attempting to wrench his hand free of the older teen’s. “Let go, I need to leave.”

“Go ahead. But I’m coming with you,” Jason’s grip tightened with those words, his mouth settling into a thin, stubborn line.

“Stop it, Grace,” Nico hissed halfheartedly, “Let _go_.”

“No! If you’re leaving, you’re leaving with me, or you’re not leaving at all.”

“Stop being so _obstinate_ , Jason! I want to go home,” Nico growled softly, tugging on Jason’s grip on his wrist.

“Fine, then let’s go.”

Nico made a surprised noise in the back of his throat as Jason began dragging him back towards the cabins, his grip not loosening once even as the son of Hades wriggled in his grasp. “For Jupiter’s sake,” Jason muttered irritably when Nico’s struggles doubled, and he was nearly free of the older teen’s grasp.

The raven-haired teen yelped as he was thrown over Jason’s shoulder, his dark hair flopping out of his eyes unceremoniously as he bounced slightly against the son of Jupiter’s back. “Put me down!” the young demigod demanded, nearly crawling up Jason’s back  to slide out of the older hero’s hold.

“Quiet down, Neeks, people are beginning to stare,” Jason commanded with mock sternness, and Nico could nearly envision those blue orbs twinkling with mirth.

Nico’s cheek lightened as several campers stopped to stare at the odd duo, their brows furrowed in confusion. Then the boy’s face flushed with anger, fueled by embarrassment, and he opened his mouth, letting out a string of curses and oaths to end Jason’s life—unless he released him—that it would put Ares to shame.

“—then I’ll shove my foot so far up your ass—,” the boy growled, until he cut off by a palm landing on the backside of his thigh sharply.

“Oh shut up. I get it already, ‘Kitten’s got claws’; grr to you too,” Jason responded blandly.

Nico had to stop himself from letting his jaw drop open at the words and action. “You…you…you,” the son of Hades sputtered, his embarrassment fueled fury clogging his throat every time he attempted to force insulting words from his mouth.

“Yes, me what? I’m just _dying_ to know what other interesting words you have for me in that colorful vocabulary of yours,” the older demigod goaded drily, gracefully sidestepping a few campers who had stopped in the middle of his path just to witness what was happening between the arguing pair.

“Oh, you’ll be dying all right when I’m through with you,” Nico swore bitterly, still squirming in Jason’s grasp.

“Kitten, you look ridiculous, how about you take five? You’re straining my arms,” Jason grunted hoisting the boy back over his shoulder as he nearly slid from his spot on the semi-broad shoulder.

“Don’t _call me that_!” Nico screeched, currently uncaring of how the other campers would view him.

“Simmer down, Neek—.”

In an act of pure anger that Nico wasn’t very proud of, he took of deep breath, then sunk his teeth into Jason’s cloth covered shoulder. Hard. “ _Fuck_!” Jason roared, his momentary distraction allowing Nico to slide off of his shoulder and land on the ground with a soft “oomph”.

Grinning, Nico took off in the direction of the forest, dodging squealing campers that happened to find themselves in his path until the woods were nearly in view once again. The son of Hades was preparing himself to gather the surrounding shadows around him until he was tackled from behind, a familiar lightly tanned arm flashing in his peripheral vision as he fell. “Get off,” the younger teen grumbled as his face was unintentionally smushed against the dirt of the pathway.

“If I get off, you’ll leave,” Jason muttered, struggling to keep the young demigod from wiggling out from underneath him.

“That’s the point, dumbass!”

Nico had to stop himself from squealing when he was flipped onto his back, physically pinned down by strong arms while mentally pinned by sky blue orbs that seemed to crackle with electricity as Jason’s face morphed into something serious. “You’re. Not. Leaving,” the son of Jupiter bit out, “I forbid it.”

Nico was momentarily stunned by the intensity of Jason’s stare, but he quickly found words as he shook himself from his stupor. “Yeah? Well it’s a good thing you’re only Zeus’s _son_. You hold no authority over me.”

“Is that right?”

Nico hummed his assent, his lips twisting into a self-satisfied smirk as he watched the teen above him. He had won. There was nothing else Jason could do to make him stay. All he had to do was wait for older demigod to roll off of him and he would be free—.

“If you leave, I’ll tell Drew Tanaka you’re interested in her.”

Nico froze at those words, his eyes widening as Jason’s infamous shit eating grin settled on his face. “You wouldn’t _dare_ ,” Nico growled out, not actually sure if Jason would or wouldn’t.

“Oh, but I _would_ , my dear Kitten.”

Well, there was his answer. Nico shuddered at the thought of Drew _actually_ believing he was interested in her. That girl was like a predator and she _was_ rather attracted to dangerous things, such as himself; she stalked her prey then waited for the right moment to attack. And once she got her jaws around your throat, she wouldn’t let go. Unless you died of course, but obviously this was not an option, seeing as Nico rather liked living. His life sure as hell wasn’t something to brag about, but he’d be damned if he died by the hands of Drew Tanaka. Or jaws. Whichever got to him first.

“Bastard,” Nico hissed through his clenched teeth, letting his body go lax as he gave up on struggling against the son of Jupiter.

Jason’s grin stretched impossibly wider until he nearly reminded Nico of the Cheshire Cat from Alice and Wonderland. The son of Hades held back a snort of laughter, not ready to forgive Jason just yet. Why did the older half-blood need forgiveness anyway? Hell if he knew. Jason was just annoying as far as he was concerned. He was way too nice, smiled too much for Nico’s liking, was overly chipper, and fretted over the littlest things when it concerned the younger half-blood. If Nico was being honest with himself, he would admit that Jason fretting over him nearly made him purr in delight. But since when has being honest with oneself been any fun?

“You won’t leave…?” Jason questioned hesitantly, his wide smile disappearing as it made way to a childishly hopeful expression.

“No, I won’t leave,” Nico grumbled, staring Jason in the eyes stubbornly.

“Swear it,” Jason demanded.

Nico’s eyes widened slightly as he snorted dubiously. “On the River Styx?”

Jason began to nod, then paused as he obviously thought it over. “No, just swear it. To me.”

The boy’s dark brows furrowed as he stared up at the son of Jupiter. “You want me to swear on you?”

Jason gave an exasperated sigh as he watched the teen beneath him carefully. “No. Just say, ‘Jason, I swear I won’t ever leave Camp Half-Blood.’”

Nico frowned, “I’m not swearing that. What if my father summons me? What if Hazel needs me? What if—?”

“Okay, okay. Then just swear you won’t leave unless you have a legitimate reason. Good?”

The raven-haired demigod began to argue, but thought better of it as Jason’s blue eyes watched him almost pleadingly. “You’re no River Styx, but yeah, whatever. Jason, I swear I won’t leave Camp Half-Blood without a legitimate reason. Happy?”

“Delighted.” A genuine smile spread across Jason’s face.

Nico fidgeted awkwardly. “Um, now that I’m not leaving, you think you can get up?”

“Nah, you’re rather comfy.”

And with that, Jason flopped down completely on Nico, the latter of the two grunting as the side of the older teen’s face pressed against his own. “Get off, Jashon,” Nico grunted.

“Why are you talking like that?” Jason made a show of nuzzling his face into Nico’s hair. “Hey, you used my shampoo!”

Nico breathed a sigh of relief as Jason lifted his weight off of his small frame, the air flowing through his lungs unhindered once again. “One, you were squishing my face. Two, yeah, I did; it kinda stinks.”

Jason snorted indignantly, “What do you mean ‘it stinks’?!”

Nico shrugged. “It smells weird.”

“You smell weird,” Jason grumbled ill-temperedly, his golden brows furrowing petulantly.

The corners of Nico’s lips lifted in a small smile. “Blame it on your body wash; it smells weird too.”

The young demigod felt Jason stiffen above him as the older teen’s blue eyes simultaneously widened. “Hey, you’re smiling…”

Nico frowned, the topic easily forgotten, “So, what of it?”

“It’s just…nothing,” Jason mumbled, averting his gaze as he rolled off of the younger teen.

 _Annnnd, he’s back to being strange again_ , Nico huffed to himself, glaring up at the sky as if it were the reason for Jason’s irritating mood swings.

“Are we really going to go through this again?” Nico muttered irritably.

“What do you mean?” Jason questioned, swiveling his head in the opposite direction when Nico turned to look at him.

“That.”

“You have to be more specific, Kitten,” the older teen’s eyes darted over to where he was stretched out for a moment before flitting away again.

 _And here I thought I was awkward._ Nico sat up and stood swiftly, shaking the dirt from his hair, then began sweeping the stray grass blades as well as dirt from his clothing, paying careful attention as he swept the particles from his beloved aviator jacket.

“Never mind,” Nico slid his hands into his jacket pockets calmly, then began walking towards his cabin.

Nico growled to himself as he heard Jason pick himself off of the ground and begin to walk after him. “You’re upset, aren’t you?” Jason asked slowly, as if the speed of his words would set off the younger demigod.

“I’m fine.”

“Liar, I know you’re upset. Tell me why.”

Much to Nico’s irritation, Jason fell in step beside him, his gait narrowing in order to keep from out stepping the younger teen. “Oh fu—.”

Nico paused as a hand was slapped over his mouth, causing the two teens to come to a sudden halt. “Language, Neeks. You have such a potty mouth,” Jason chastised, his hand firmly pressed against the younger teen’s maw.

The son of Hades had to force himself to keep from biting the hand currently covering his mouth. He pressed his lips together so hard he was surprised his teeth didn’t break skin. After a few seconds, Jason warily removed his hand from Nico’s mouth, keeping it close enough in case it had to be pressed back. He was a little late as Nico let out a string of curses that would not only put Ares to shame, but have him running to Hera, wondering what the terrible words the little demigod had spoken meant. “Someone needs their mouth washed out with soap,” Jason muttered as Nico took a breath to continue his tirade.

Nico closed his mouth abruptly; glaring daggers at Jason before he stormed off towards his cabin, knowing Jason would follow right behind him. “Oh, c’mon, Neeks; don’t be mad!”

“Stop following me.”

“Then forgive me.”

“Not happening.”

“How come?”

“Because.”

“Because what?”

Silence. “Because what, Nico?” Jason repeated with mock naivety.

“Why are you so damned irritating?!”

“Why are you so damned grumpy?”

“I’m not grumpy!”

“Yes, you are. You’re scowling. I mean, you _do_ scowl all the time. Except when you’re asleep, you looked all relaxed and peace—.”

“What?” Nico nearly stopped in his tracks. Jason watched him sleep?

The older teen just continued as if he hadn’t heard a thing. “You especially live up to your name when you’re asleep, that’s for sure. ‘Nico the Angel’. How come I’m calling you Kitten? Why don’t I just call you Angel? Hey! Why don’t you teach me Italian? I mean, you do speak it, right?”

Nico paused in the middle of the pathway as he squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing at his temples in slow circles. “Zeus, Jason, shut _up_. Why do you talk so much?”

Nico cracked open his eyes to see Jason watching him with a slight smile on his sculpted features. “It distracts you from being mad at me. Efficient, huh?”

“Gods, I _hate_ you.”

Jason snorted, draping his arm across Nico’s shoulders. “We both know that’s not true. Are you done being mad at me?”

“Yes, yes, _yes_. Just be quiet for a moment.”

To his surprise, Jason gave him the silence he needed and waited patiently until Nico gave him the go ahead to speak again. Nico unconsciously leaned into Jason, letting the older teen’s strange warmth sooth his pounding headache until it was reduced to nothing more than a slight throbbing that was a tad bit irritating, but not as painful as it was before. He hadn’t noticed Jason was rubbing his shoulder in soothing circles until the older demigod stopped. Nico quietly whined his displeasure, a soft sigh of bliss escaping his parted lips as Jason ministrations restarted once again.

Neither teen had realized they had been standing there long until they heard someone clear their throat loudly, obviously attempting to get their attention. Nico’s head lifted from its place on Jason’s chest as the son of Jupiter’s arm slid from his shoulders, and the young teen had to stop himself from making another sound of displeasure as the comforting actions were stopped once again.

“Yes, Percy?” Jason’s words were cold and emotionless when he turned to face the eldest demigod.

Nico was nearly rooted to the spot at the name. _Fuck, just my luck_ , he thought as he turned slowly, flinching when Percy’s fury-filled green gaze landed on him. “Nothing, just, _nothing_ ,” Percy spat, the words directed at Jason though his eyes were fixed on Nico’s.

Percy’s expression hardened further as Jason stepped closer to Nico defensively. “Then you can go, yes?” Jason’s head tilted to the side with mock innocence, though his blue eyes told a completely different story.

“Yeah, whatever,” Percy turned on his heel, briskly walking to his cabin.

Nico made a desperate sound in the back of his throat, stepping away from Jason in favor of going after Percy. He ignored Jason as the blonde teen called out to him, his words laced with a secret message, warning him what Percy could do to him. But Nico already _knew_ what Percy could do to him. From just being around the son of Poseidon he decided he needed a mind condom, seeing as he was always getting mind fucked when he was with him. Yet, he didn’t care. It was _Percy_. It wasn’t just some random. It was his childhood hero. His first love. His first time. He could take whatever Percy threw at him in stride. At least, he thought so. “Percy!” Nico winced as the hero slammed the door to his cabin shut harshly, a few seashells falling from the exterior and to the ground where they bounced a little before settling peacefully.

Warily, Nico approached the entrance to the cabin; lightly rapping is his fist on the wood. “Percy?” he murmured softly, his stomach flipping anxiously.

When the dark-haired demigod didn’t answer after about a minute, Nico took a deep breath, then pulled the door open carefully, peeking his head inside before he stepped into the cabin slowly. “Perce?”

“What do you want?” Percy was settled on the edge of his bed, his green eyes darkening further as they honed in on the young hero.

“Um, are you okay?” Nico shifted awkwardly, his hands fidgeting by his sides uselessly.

“Am I okay…?” Percy repeated slowly and dubiously, his brows rising on his forehead.

“…Yeah…?”

“That’s a stupid question. I’m just _dandy_ ,” Percy smiled grimly.

“Liar,” Nico mumbled, unconsciously repeating the words Jason had said to him not too long ago.

“So,” Percy began, his hands clasped together tightly as a bitter smirk took residence on his all-too-handsome features. “You and Jason, huh?”

A single black brow rose on Nico’s forehead. “What about me and Jason?”

“You two are a pair, hm? All _cuddled_ up for the whole camp to see.”

Percy bit out the word “cuddled” as if were the most disgusting vermin on Earth. “Wait…a pair? As in a _couple_?! Are you _insane_ ,” Nico sputtered, his dark eyes widening.

“Don’t play innocent with me,” Percy snarled, “You let me fuck you, then it’s on to the next, yeah?”

“ _No_! Jason and I are _not_ having,” Nico tried to get the word out of his mouth, but it wasn’t working out, so he settled on the next best thing; hand gestures.

“That’s cute, still playing the part of the blushing _virgin_. You want Jason to—.”

“No, I don’t! What the hell is _wrong_ with you? We’re just friends.”

“You’re such a home wrecker, Nico!” Percy shouted suddenly, “Jason has a _girlfriend_ , and you’re seriously trying to get him to fuck you?”

Nico’s hands balled into fists at those words, his face flushing with fury. “ _You_ have a girlfriend _too_ , you unfaithful asshole! But does that stop you from bending me over whenever you get the time? _No_.”

“It’s different—.”

“How? Tell me _how_ , Perseus Jackson? And what do you care anyway? I can get with whomever I want! We’re not together.”

“But you’re _mine_.”

Nico took a step back at that, his heart warming hopefully at the words. For a moment, he ignored his heart, instead choosing to focus on his rational thoughts. “I’m not a possession. You don’t own me, and you’re _Annabeth’s_ boyfriend, not mine. I’m _nothing_ to you, just a fuck toy you use when you’re bored. I sincerely apologize that vanilla sex with Annabeth is no fun, but that doesn’t mean you can just fuck whoever you want when you feel like it. You’re in a relationship, and—and I have no idea what I’m doing getting in between that.”

Nico’s voice caught on the words, and he had to stop in order to get himself together once more. Percy’s eyes had softened by this time, and the older teen had stood from his position on the bed, moving to stand in front of the younger demigod. “You’re not a fuck toy, Nico. I care about you, why don’t you get that?”

The son of Hades chewed on his lower lip as he kept his eyes trained on the floor, not trusting himself to look up and into those beautiful eyes. “Because it doesn’t _mean_ anything as long as you’re with her, okay?”

His words didn’t stop Percy from moving forward and lifting his chin gently. “Per—.”

Nico was silenced as Percy pressed his lips to his own, their lips melding together slowly and sensually until they broke apart moments later, the younger of the two nearly breathless from the kiss and the emotions running through his head. Percy watched him carefully, waiting anxiously to see how the raven-haired half-blood would react.

“I-I…have to go,” Nico whispered, backing away from Percy and to the door.

As his hand grasped the doorknob, he turned quickly from the older teen’s somber face, yanking open the entrance and dashing off into the warm heat of the afternoon.

Even as he left the cabin, he swore to himself that he would never go back. But he knew he was lying; he’d keep coming back as long as Percy wanted him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let you guys know, I am harboring no hate for any characters in the either book series.  
> I just thought it'd be fun to put a twist on things.  
> I know I'm making Percy out to be this big dickwad, but in reality, he's one of my favorite characters.  
> How I'm portraying each character in the the story does not reflect my view of them in reality.  
> Just sayin'. [;  
> * And just for any of you who didn't already know this, ASPCA stands for American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. *


	6. It Makes You Feel Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jason breathed out as he caught the scent of alcohol on Nico’s breath, “You’re drunk, you don’t know what you want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted this sooner than I thought I would.  
> Woohoo. *excitement*  
> I hope you enjoy this, because I definitely enjoyed writing it. [;  
> Suggestions are appreciated. Praise for the story is loved. Criticism is welcomed. Enjoy the story, darlings.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico stared at the box of cigarettes in his drawer, his expression eerily blank for someone who had just gotten into a fight with the love of their life.

He had never smoked before, and he had never been so tempted to do so as he had been in that moment.

The raven-haired demigod had been through more than most demigods would ever go through, and still he hadn’t cracked. He had lost his mother, was stuck in the Lotus Hotel and Casino for decades, lost his sister, ultimately leaving him with his father, who seemed to not care for his scrawny, failure of a son, and the fairly frigid queen of the Underworld. He was then betrayed by one of the judges of the afterlife who had only used him to get his revenge on Daedalus, because of this, he was deemed unworthy of anyone’s trust and was all on his own until he went to the Underworld in search of his older sister, Bianca, but instead of finding her, he found Hazel, which was quite bittersweet. But before he found Hazel, he nearly experienced the end of the world at Kronos’ hands, then he went through Tartarus on his own, only to escape and become trapped in a jar where he lived off of nothing but pomegranate seeds, or _a_ seed a day. Then he watched the love of his life plummet into the depths of Tartarus, the traumatizing place he would never wish on his worst enemy. And _why_ did Percy plummet into the hellish place? Because refused to release Annabeth’s hand, and if that wasn’t a blow to his already bruised pride he didn’t know what would be.

Then he was turned into a stalk of corn, forced to admit his feelings for the son of Poseidon, _in front of Jason_ , and he _still_ hadn’t been able to shake the older teen since. Soon after Annabeth and Percy returned from Tartarus, he had to shadow travel the Athena Parthenos to Camp Jupiter, nearly killing himself in the process, but much to his luck, the oversized statue reunited both camps, who joined together to stop the end of the world from happening once again.

All in all he had a _very_ eventful life. And never _once_ had he been as tempted to smoke as he was now. He had bought the cancer sticks the very day he had heard Percy and Annabeth had started dating, and he had been almost _positive_ that that would be day he would start smoking, it had been the day that he had gotten his first taste of alcohol after all, at the young age of twelve. His father had spotted him sulking in his room in the Underworld, and was sick of him lying in bed, wasting away his days when he could be doing something productive. So the King of the Underworld barged into his room and tossed him a bottle of vodka, telling him to get over himself and if alcohol was what the young demigod needed to do so, then he would supply him with as much as he needed. Yes, Hades was most _definitely_ in the running for the Father of the Year award.

Nico smiled bitterly at the thought, running his thumb over the flap of the cigarette box before he slowly pulled it open, catching a glimpse of the forbidden items the paper box contained. Since that day, he had replenished the box once a month after he was sure they had gone stale. The son of Hades pulled out one of the sticks with little resistance, studying it carefully at its place between his thumb and forefinger. Did he really want to do this? Did he really want to risk becoming addicted to these things? _You’re such a home wrecker, Nico!_ As those words repeated in his head his full lips thinned into a harsh, straight line. Hell yeah he wanted to do this. It wasn’t as if he would get cancer or anything; one of the plusses of being a demigod, you never got sick thanks to your godly parentage.

With that thought in mind, Nico set aside the box and rummaged through his drawer until he found what he had been looking for; a lighter. Stoically, Nico raised the cigarette to his lips, though he honestly had no idea how to do this. Did cigarettes come with instructions on how to smoke? The young demigod studied the box on his bedside table for nearly five minutes due to his dyslexia, but soon shrugged off the task when he found nothing on the box that would help him. With a steady breath, Nico placed the cancer stick between his parted lips then turned the little wheel on the lighter, his expression determined as the fire came to life in his hand. The raven-haired demigod pressed down in the red tab to keep the flame lit, then brought the blaze to the end of his cigarette where he then inhaled deeply, and less than a second later he was yanking the cigarette from his lips as he went into a coughing fit, the smoke clogging his airways as he gulped down breath after breath in an attempt to regain his steady breathing.

“Gods,” he gasped when he was finally able to breathe again and he studied the stick in his hand warily this time, but stubbornly.

He was set on getting the hang of this thing; no matter if it spent him weeks just to do so. Nico brought the cigarette back to his parted lips and took in a slow drag of smoke, careful not to take in too much this time around. Instinctively, he held the smoke in his mouth, not sure what to do now. He held the fumes in his mouth, nearly panicking when he had held his breath for as long as he could. The son of Hades released the smoke in a nearly transparent haze, he senses nearly overwhelmed by the bitter smell. After a moment of hesitation, Nico brought the cigarette back to his lips, and inhaled the hot smoke into his mouth for a few seconds, the heat irritating his throat slightly before he slowly freed the fume from his parted lips, watching in almost a daze as the fog swirled around his dark cabin before it disappeared from his sight.

Almost robotically, Nico brought the cigarette back to his lips, and repeated the process until the cancer stick was no more than a tan butt between his fingers. Boldly, Nico reached for the box, pulling out another stick and restarting the method again and again until he was on his fifth cigarette. The young demigod ignored the soft knocking on his door as he took a deep drag of the cigarette, holding it in his orifice for a few moments before he released the smog from his lips, the smoke now joining the rest of the pollution in his unventilated lodging. His dark eyes strayed to the door as it was opened, and he made out a hazy outline in the doorway stumbling back as the smell of smoke hit their senses. Nico smirked cynically as the figure coughed loudly, lifted their hand to their nose to protect themselves from the bitter smell. “Nico…?”

Of course it was Jason. Why had he foolishly hoped it would be Percy? The demigod in question ignored the blonde as he took another drag from his cigarette, soon releasing the exhaust as the son of Jupiter strode forward purposefully, snatching the cancer stick from between his fingers only to drop it to the dark hardwood floor and crush it beneath his foot. “What in _Jupiter’s name_ are you doing?!” Jason blurted, removing his hand from his nose in favor of swatting away the vapor Nico blew in his direction.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Nico rasped, noting the way Jason flinched at the sound of his abused voice.

“When did you start smoking?” Jason demanded, snatching up the box of cancer sticks from the bedside table, nearly crushing them in his firm grasp.

“Today,” the young demigod stated, his voice grating in his throat nearly painfully as he reached for the box of cigarettes, unconsciously running his tongue over his lower lip to savor the smoky taste.

Nico recoiled, jerking his hand back as Jason threw down the box of cigs angrily and smashed it underneath his foot, grinding it into the hardwood of the floor beneath his tennis shoe. The son of Hades cringed when Jason stormed over to the windows and threw open the blinds, the smoke that was hidden some time ago coming back into view and swirling before his eyes once again until the furious blonde pulled open a window, the breeze blowing into his room and bringing in the smell of fresh strawberries while ushering out the offensive smell of smoke. Nico didn’t know what to say as Jason busied himself with the task of ridding the younger teen’s cabin of the evidence of his smoking before a late cabin inspection rolled around. “Jas—.”

“I honestly don’t want to hear it right now,” Jason snapped, making sure the heavy black blinds would stay in place at the sides of the window.

Nico gnawed on his lower lip, this taste of smoke still fresh on the tip of his tongue and even on the skin of his lips. The son of Hades pulled his knees to his chest guiltily as Jason gathered the remains of his cigarettes stiffly. “Go take a shower,” Jason commanded, not even bothering to look up from his chore and at the younger teen.

The young demigod let his feet fall to the floor with a soft thud as he began toeing off his shoes, mentally cringing as tobacco debris clung to his pale, bare feet. As soon as he slid off his aviator jacket, Jason grabbed it then began pulling off Nico’s bed set from his mattress until the furniture was stripped bare. “W-What are you doing?” Nico whispered, not wanting to agitate his throat further with normal speaking.

“I’m going to wash your things; they reek of smoke,” the son of Jupiter said bluntly, still not looking at the younger teen before him.

“Jason, I…I’m sor—.”

“Don’t, Nico. Just go take a shower,” Jason’s eyes squeezed shut for a moment, his gold brows furrowing in barely contained frustration.

Nico was sick of taking showers. He was sick of washing away his guilt, sadness, anger, and so many other confusing emotions. “No.”

Jason stiffened further, looking as if he was ready to snap. When he finally looked Nico in the eyes, his blue orbs were crackling with barely contained rage and the son of Hades inwardly cursed as he heard the far-away rumble of thunder in the distance. “I’m not _asking_ you to go take a shower, I’m _telling_ you. Go. Take. A. Shower. _Now_.”

Nico’s eyes widened, and he turned, scurrying off to the bathroom. Jason was mad. No, he was downright _pissed_. At him? The thought of Jason being that upset with him made his stomach coil in knots. He didn’t want Jason mad at him. He couldn’t _afford_ to have him mad at him, especially not at a time like this, when he needed Jason’s comforting arm surrounding him, soothing him, telling him everything would be alright.

The raven-hair half-blood jumped as the door to his cabin was slammed shut loudly. Yeah, he had some making up to do.

** Jason’s POV **

Jason had dropped Nico’s things off at the Hephaestus cabin with Leo, who had a working washer and dryer machine. The small Latino didn’t even question him as to why the items were drenched with the smell of smoke, no doubt heeding the dangerous glint in his electric eyes.

After Jason had left the Hephaestus cabin, he went back over to Nico’s cabin to make sure the young teen was doing as he had been told to do. Jason was more than pleased when he heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom in the rear of the cabin. _Good_ , he thought, smirking bitterly to himself as he ran a hand through his unusually disheveled hair, _he had time_.

Quietly, he opened the door to the dark cabin, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Nico hadn’t heard him return. When the water continued running without avail, Jason slipped out of the cabin, pulling the door shut silently behind him. Oh yeah, he had _more_ than enough time.

He let his feet guide him to the place he wish to go, and a few moments later he found himself knocking on the wooden door of Cabin 3, taking a step back as he waited for the teen on the other side to come out. He didn’t have to wait very long. Jason solidified his tense stance as Percy pulled open the door and stared at the blonde warily. “What do you—?” before the elder teen could finish uttering out his question, Jason had reared his arm back and let it fly, his fist catching Percy in his right eye. The son of Poseidon stumbled back, his hand clutching the area over his eye tenderly as Jason inspected his left fist nonchalantly. “What the _fuck_?”

Jason took a bold step into the cabin, his anger not yet sated, but he refused to go any further than just one hit. “Let that be your warning, you stay the _hell away_ from Nico, got me?”

The son of Jupiter didn’t wait for his answer; instead he turned on his heel and stormed back to Cabin 13, inwardly grinning to himself. Well, that was certainly the Roman way to do it.

By the time he returned to Nico’s cabin, the boy was out of the shower and dressed haphazardly in a pair of dark jeans and Jason’s royal purple hoodie, the Camp Jupiter logo folded over itself due to the young teen’s small stature. Nico was watching him nervously from his position on his bare mattress, his dark eyes widened ever so slightly at Jason’s sudden appearance. The son of Jupiter couldn’t help but soften his gaze as Nico worried his plump lower lip between his teeth, his deep brown orbs now fixed on the floor.

Jason shook himself out of his Nico-induced stupor as he shut the door softly behind him. He couldn’t afford to go into a trance over Nico’s looks at a time like this, not when he was supposed to be upset with the younger demigod. “Jason.”

The son of Jupiter had to stop himself from flinching at the sound of Nico’s hoarse voice; instead, he raised a single golden blonde brow on his forehead critically, regarding the boy in front of him sternly. “Yeah?”

Jason nearly apologized as he watched Nico shrink back at his frigid tone, the boy’s small, pale hands disappearing into the sleeves of the purple hoodie. “Nothing,” Nico whispered, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his head on his kneecaps, allowing his dark hair to flop into his eyes.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Jason’s minimal anger at the son of Hades gradually diminished until it was nothing more than a flame of sadness in his chest. Nico folded his arms, repositioning himself until his looped appendages were now resting on his knees, his head buried in their folds. Jason let out a small huff of air as he strode over to the boy, kneeling down in front of him. “Neeks, look at me.”

The young half-blood ignored him, instead burying his head further in his folded arms until only his raven curls were the only things visible on his head. Unconsciously, Jason ran his fingertips over the pale expanse of Nico’s arm, goosebumps following in his wake. “Nico,” Jason murmured softly, tangling his wandering fingers in the boy’s dark locks, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he felt the son of Hades shiver beneath his fingers.

“Are you…mad?” he heard Nico mumble timidly, his head lifting slightly to reveal glistening brown orbs.

Jason paused, mulling over his answer for a few seconds so that he could be completely honest when he answered. “No,” Nico exhaled deeply at Jason’s half finished answer, “I’m just disappointed.”

Jason inwardly cursed himself as Nico deflated once more, his head flopping back down to his arms. “Oh.”

“I—.”

“Just…don’t say I told you so, please?” Nico begged softly, his scratchy voice heavy with emotion.

The son of Jupiter sighed softly, nodding slowly as he lifted Nico’s head from his folded arms, the smell of smoke just barely there, but enough to make Jason stiffen all over again. “What did he say to you?”

Nico averted his gaze, gnawing on his lower lip so harshly Jason was afraid his canines would break skin. “Nothing.”

“Nothing…? So, nothing had you in here smoking, what, seven or eight cigarettes?”

“Five,” the younger teen corrected automatically silencing as Jason gave him a dubious look.

“Like that’s any better. You’re only _sixteen_ , Nico.”

“So what?”

“So, you’re way too young to be smoking. How did you get a hold of cigarettes in the first place?”

Nico lifted a single shoulder nonchalantly. “I contorted the Mist and bought them.”

“Yesterday?”

“No, about three weeks ago.”

“What?!”

“It doesn’t matter, Grace,” Nico huffed, jerking his head from Jason’s grasp.

“Is there anything else I should know about you, my royal Ghost King?” Jason asked drily.

Nico brows drew together in concentration. “Well, I drink, but I’m not sure that’s import—.”

“Dear _gods_ , Nico!”

“I’m telling you, it’s not a big…hey, what happened to your knuckles?”

Jason jerked his hand away from Nico’s face, cursing silently as he remembered the dark bruises beginning to form on his left hand. “I…hit my hand on the doorframe when I went to the Hephaestus cabin, no big deal.”

Nico’s dark brows rose questioningly at Jason’s stuttered response as he snatched back the older teen’s lightly tanned hand. “You expect me to believe you got _these_ from a doorway? They look like they hurt like hell.”

“Well, the doorframe of the Hephaestus cabin _is_ made from celestial bronze, you know, the same metal that can kill demigods?”

“I know what it is, Jason, I’m not stupid.”

“Of course you’re not,” Jason teased, hoping to stray from the subject of his bruised knuckles.

“Do they hurt?” the son of Hades asked gently, his thumb swiping across the bruised skin.

Jason shook his head, watching Nico’s considerably smaller thumb trace small, comforting circles on each of his marred knuckles. “You don’t have to lie,” the younger teen muttered, his voice holding a teasing lilt.

“It doesn’t, I promise. What about your throat?”

“What about it?” Nico made a disgruntled face as his voice crackled.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not really…it just burns a little, that’s all.”

Jason made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat. “Jason?” Nico tightened his grip on the older teen’s hand warily.

“I hate it,” Jason growled out.

“Hate it…?”

“I hate that _he_ can do this to you. He ruins you…and you…you just _let_ him.”

“Jason, please; don’t do this right now,” Nico rasped, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, causing his sooty lashes to fan out over his pale cheekbones.

Jason forced himself to relax at the desperate tone in Nico’s voice; the son of Hades was gripping his hand so tightly he was surprised his bones didn’t crack. “Okay,” he murmured softly, tracing the back of Nico’s hand lightly.

Nico’s grip on his hand loosened only to the point where it was no longer hurting him. Jason wriggled his hand out of Nico’s grasp, instead holding their hands up together to compare the sizes and the differences. Whereas Nico’s hand was quite small and pale, Jason’s was large and lightly tanned, the contrast obvious to anyone who chose to analyze each teen’s hand.

Slowly, Jason threaded his fingers through the slots between Nico’s own feelers, humming his content as their appendages interlocked perfectly. He squeezed Nico’s hand softly, his nimble fingers overlapping the boy’s pale skin and deepening the contrast between the two. “You’ll be okay,” Jason uttered softly as Nico leaned forward, resting his head against the older teen’s semi-broad shoulder.

Sighing softly when Nico didn’t reply, he wrapped his arms around the boy, hoping his actions were a better reassurance than his words. In return, the son of Hades nuzzled his head into the space between Jason’s shoulder and neck, his warm breath cascading over the bare portion of the blonde demigod’s skin. Jason shifted his head, partially resting it on the younger half-blood’s head, his sense nearly overwhelmed with Nico’s warm scent. How was it that they always got into this position? Nico’s breathing had deepened, and Jason was almost convinced the boy had fallen asleep until the young demigod slid from the off of the side of the bed and further into the son of Jupiter’s arms. “Jason.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m kind of hungry.”

Jason smiled into Nico’s raven locks, loosening his grasp on the teen slightly. “Well, if we hurry we can get to the dining pavilion for lunch before we’re late.”

“Can’t we just eat in your cabin?” Nico nearly whined, scooting closer when Jason slackened his grip further.

The older hero chuckled softly, releasing the son of Hades completely in favor of standing. “No, you need some sunshine, and social interactions, Kitten.”

Jason grinned as Nico scowled, his raven brows drawing together in irritation. “Would you stop calling me that?”

“Nah, it fits.”

The blonde half-blood hoisted the young demigod to his feet, which were currently bare. “Where are your shoes?”

Nico shrugged, fiddling with the strings on the deep purple hoodie he was currently nearly hidden in. “I don’t know.”

Jason rolled his eyes, pointing to an area closest to the bathroom where Nico’s ratty Converse were currently lying haphazardly. The young hero gave him a lazy look, and Jason sighed out an irritated breath as he marched over to where the black shoes were strewn, snatching them up as Nico watched him smugly. “You’re such a lazy bum,” Jason grumbled, shoving the shoes at Nico’s chest.

“Am I?”

“Yes, yes you are,” Jason huffed, waiting impatiently as the son of Hades pulled on his shoes.

“Okay, I just need to change my—.”

“No, you look fine. Now let’s go!”

Jason grabbed Nico’s hand—or more like the fabric of his own Camp Jupiter hoodie—and pulled the teen towards the door, the boy in his grasp resisting the whole way. “I can walk,” Nico growled, planting his heels into the floor in an attempt to stop the older demigod.

Jason gave Nico a bland look over his shoulder as he pulled open the cabin door, “Hey, you remember that time, hm, about an hour or two ago when you were riding along on my shoulder? Would you like a replay of that?”

“Bastard,” Nico hissed, giving in to Jason’s persistent tugging.

“Thought so; now, let’s get going.”

** Nico’s POV **

Less than five minutes later Nico and Jason were approaching the entrance to the pavilion, the excited chatter of the campers reaching their ears with a mirthful buzz. Nico fisted the sleeves of the deep purple hoodie hands anxiously as he felt, more than saw, Piper’s gaze on him. He knew he shouldn’t have worn the hoodie. “ Neeks?”

Nico glanced at Jason, doing his best not to let his emotions play out on his face. “Yeah?”

“You think you’ll be okay on your own? I could sit with you if you—.”

“Really, the perfect Jason Grace is willing to break the rules for little ole’ me?” Nico asked innocently, widening his eyes with mock naivety.

Jason shoved him good naturedly, his eyes twinkling with delight even as he fixed a scowl on his handsome, sculpted features. “I’ll see you after lunch, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico shrugged a single shoulder dismissively before he began walking over to his table.

He snuck a glance over his shoulder at Jason, to see that the blonde demigod was watching him with a slightly worried look on his face. _Always fretting_ , Nico thought, smiling to himself as he slid into his seat at the Hades table. He was so lost in thought, he didn’t notice _her_ approaching. “Di Angelo,” she greeted huskily, this tips of her perfectly manicured fingers brushing over the back of his neck, except, instead of reacting the way he usually did whenever Jason touched him there, he shuddered and tensed, goosebumps of revulsion making their way down his back.

“Drew,” he responded coldly as she slid into a spot next to him, much too close for comfort.

She expertly flipped her dark locks over her shoulders, propping her head on her fist as she blinked at him coyly. “Nico,” she whined softly, “there’s no need to act so… _hostile_ towards me.”

He ignored that, instead opting to act as if she wasn’t there. He shifted his gaze around the pavilion, stiffening when he felt Drew’s nimble fingers grip his chin with a tenderness he never wished to feel from her. Jerkily, he allowed her to turn his head in her direction, scooting away when he found himself nearly nose-to-nose with the girl. “What do you want, Drew?”

The girl in question pouted, her glossed lower lip poking out petulantly. “I guess I took too long, huh?”

“Too long…?”

“To pursue you, of course, silly!” she sighed dramatically, “Now you’re off the market.”

Off the market…? This chick was crazier than he initially thought she was. “What are you _talking_ about?”

Drew rolled her eyes teasingly, her long, thick lashes fluttering, the mascara she had caked on making them seem more fake than real. “You and Jason dating, _duh_.”

Nico choked, his deep brown eyes widening to a point where it was nearly comical. “I mean, I was hoping to snag Jason when, and if he and Piper ever broke up,” Drew continued, her hand waving around elegantly, “but it looks like you beat me to it!”

“Piper and Jason are still together!” Nico pointed out, struggling to keep his voice lowered.

Drew blinked once, confusion washing over her pretty features until the emotion disappeared as soon as it had came, replaced by a sly look, as she leaned in, motioning Nico closer with a curled forefinger. “Oh, I see. So Piper doesn’t know about you two; you guys are sneaking around behind her back, aren’t you?!”

Nico’s heart nearly stopped in his chest at her words. Did she know about him and Percy? No, no, she said _Jason_ , she’s completely off, there’s no way anyone could have ever found out about it. At least he thought so. The son of Hades had to remind himself to breath as Drew stared at him expectantly, her lips twisting into a knowing smirk. “I knew it!” she whisper shouted, “I mean, why else would you two spend so much time with one another. I heard that you two even spend the night in one another’s cabins. You’re even wearing his hoodie! For Cupid’s sake, that is simply _adorbs_!”

Nico unconsciously flinched at that name, the name that brought back so many horrible memories, he nearly hurled right then and there. He closed his eyes, hoping to get a grip on himself as Drew chattered on. “—co, are you even listening to me? I’m talking about the _love of your life_ here; he’s kind of a big deal.”

The Ghost King masked his expression, giving Drew a dismissive glance as the nymphs appeared with tray after tray of food. “There’s nothing going on between Grace and I. Period.”

The daughter of Aphrodite huffed ill-temperedly as Nico turned his back on her, reaching out to accept a plate of food from a nymph who was bold enough to come closer to him than the other creatures would have dared. “Whatever.”

Nico nearly yelped as he felt Drew’s plump lips brush over the tip of his right ear. “I’m a daughter of Aphrodite, the goddess of _love_ in case you don’t remember; meaning I know love when I see it.”

And with that, the dark haired beauty walked away, a subtle swing in her hips as she returned to her table. That was…strange, to say the least. Nico lifted an undressed piece of lettuce from his plate, nibbling on it absently as he mulled over Drew’s words. _I know love when I see it_.

Him, in love with _Jason_? He snorted at the ridiculous thought. Sure, the son of Jupiter was too handsome for his own good, and the fact that he was blissfully unaware of his dashing looks made him even _more_ good looking if that was possible. But that didn’t matter, they were just friends. Nico swallowed the lettuce in his mouth as he fiddled with his silverware; _only_ friends.

The son of Hades looked up as he felt someone brush past him lightly, and he nearly gasped aloud at the sight that awaited him. It was Percy. Nothing looked unordinary about the son of Poseidon until you looked him in the face; the elder teen’s right eye was a nasty shade of dark purple, his lid was slightly swollen, and his sea green iris was barely able to been seen. “Percy…?”

Percy stiffened as he spared the young demigod a fleeting glance, pausing on the wat to his table. “What do you want?”

Nico recoiled at the frigid tone, but forced himself not to back down. “What happened?”

“Why don’t you ask Jason?” Percy spat out the son of Jupiter’s name with so much venom Nico was surprised smoke didn’t start spewing out of his ears; that would be a sight to see.

“Ask Jason…?” then it all clicked. Jason’s disappearance after he had caught Nico smoking, then mysteriously returning with bruised knuckles.

Nico slammed his silverware down onto the tabletop, the sound ringing through the pavilion loudly. The buzz of voices gradually ceased until it was eerily silent, all eyes turning towards the area where the loud sound originated.

The son of Hades didn’t even have the decency to feel embarrassed as he stood from his seat abruptly, ignoring the multiple pairs of eyes on him as he pushed past Percy and stormed out of the pavilion. Without even looking back, he knew Jason would be following him, so he picked up his pace, briskly walking to his cabin to avoid the confrontation he didn’t wish to have at the moment. “Nico!”

But of course Jason wouldn’t leave him alone until he knew what was wrong with the young demigod. Nico whirled on Jason as he felt the older teen grip his shoulder loosely. “Don’t touch me,” he growled out through clenched teeth.

Jason lowered his hand warily as he studied the teen before him. “Okay, Neeks, what’s up?”

“Don’t _call_ me that.”

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked gently, his composed tone irritating the son of Hades further.

“What’s wrong?” he laughed bitterly, “You.”

“Me…?”

“You.”

“Do you mind enlightening me a little?” Jason’s tone was patient and even, not a trace of anger in his voice.

“Don’t play innocent, Grace,” Nico snapped, fisting the sleeves of the purple hoodie in his tense hands.

“I’m not—.”

“You punched Percy. You blackened his eyes then _lied_ to me about it.”

Nico watched as Jason tensed, the older teen’s muscles locking up before his very eyes. “I did,” Jason admitted boldly, not an ounce of remorse in his voice.

Nico blinked. He had at least expected Jason to deny it some, not just blatantly come out with the truth. “ _Why_? I don’t need you to fight my battles—.”

“Well you need someone to do it, seeing as you’re not doing it on your own,” Jason cringed at his own words, correcting himself before Nico had an opportunity to open his mouth. “I didn’t mean it like that. Look, I’m not just going to sit idly by as he breaks you time after time again. Do you know how many times you’ve cried over him, Nico? How many times I’ve heard you blame yourself for being the reason why he doesn’t love you? He’s not worth your tears, don’t you get that? You deserve someone so much better than him, and he doesn’t deserve you.”

“It’s my life! If I want to screw it up, _let me_. You’re not my fucking fairy godmother, I don’t need you standing up for me, I can do it all on my own.”

“Nico, I’m not just going to let him hurt you the way he does! Why do you just let him, huh? You’re upset with _me_ because I’m defending you—.”

“Yes, exactly. I’m not some emotional princess, I don’t need you protecting my honor and all of that silly shit.”

“I don’t care about what you _think_ you need. You’re destroying yourself over him, why don’t you see that?! Today it was cigarettes, what will it be tomorrow? This is just the beginning, if you keep letting him walk all over you—.”

“Just leave me alone, okay?” Nico turned on his heel and marched off, a numb feeling spreading throughout his chest as he didn’t hear Jason chasing after him this time around.

He peeked over his shoulder to see the son of Jupiter starting back towards the dining pavilion, his shoulders pulled back and his chin lifted a notch as he strode across the dirt path haughtily.

Fine, if he wanted to be that way, Nico wasn’t stopping him.

~*~

_Jason’s an asshole, I don’t need him_ , Nico tried to convince himself as he ran a thumb over a brand new box of cigarettes, the son of Jupiter’s deep purple hoodie thrown haphazardly onto the floor. He had yet to open them for some unknown reason that he guessed was guilt. He didn’t want Jason disappointed in him, not matter what their friendship status currently was. But…the cancer sticks were so…stress relieving. Just one couldn’t hurt…

Eagerly, Nico tore off the box’s seal, then lifted the flap, releasing a deep breath as he viewed the sandy butts of the cigarettes. His struggled a little as he pulled out one of the sticks, twirling it around in his nimble fingers triumphantly when it was finally released from its tight packaging. He placed the cigarette between his parted lips as he searched his open drawer for his lighter from his place on his bed. “Where did I put it?” he muttered, shifting through the random items his table contained.

“Looking for this?” a smooth, feminine voice asked innocently, causing Nico to stiffen and nearly bite into his cigarette.

He turned slowly, taking in the appearance of the young woman before him who didn’t look a day over twenty-one. She had curly black hair that cascaded in waves down her back and over her tanned shoulders, shifting with every move she made. The girl had plump red stained lips, but not lipstick stained, was it…wine stained? He blinked curiously as his eyes met her own light brown orbs, there was something unusual about her eyes that sparkled with madness; he swore he had seen a pair just like them, and that’s the only thing that stopped him from reaching for his sword. “Who—who are you?”

The girl smirked, gliding forward, her deep red gossamer dress following her calculated movements and revealing a slender leg with each step she took. Nico’s tensed all over as she leaned forward, and plucked the cigarette from between his lips and placed it in between her own. She started the flame on the black lighter he had been searching for, sighing softly when the cigarette was lit. “Ah, that hits the spot.”

Her voice was silky and sensual, which caused Nico to stiffen further; pretty girls didn’t just randomly pop up in your cabin without wanting something. And for demigods—especially the _males_ — it was usually their lives. “Are you a siren?” he asked confidently, staring her in the eyes boldly.

Her light brown eyes gleamed with satisfaction at the comment and her red lips curled seductively around the cigarette currently perched between her flappers. “Well aren’t you sweet,” she purred as she removed the cigarette from its place between her lips, smoke leaving her mouth in swirls with every word.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Nico was second guessing his decision not to grab his sword as she eyed him lazily.

She tutted her tongue softly, removing the cigarette from between her lips to place it between Nico’s own. “Now, that’s no way to treat a lady, is it now, little demigod?”

Nico snatched the cigarette from between his lips and tossed it onto the ground, crushing it beneath his foot as she studied him carefully. “I am Dionysia, daughter of Dionysus.”

So she _was_ an immortal; he knew it! But a daughter of Dionysus? He had never heard of her before. “I know what you’re thinking,” she sighed, her dulcet voice taking on an exasperated tone, “My father prefers it that you demigods and mortals not know of my existence.”

“But…why?”

Her lips twisted into a sneer. “My father doesn’t like it to be known that he needs assistance with his duties.”

Nico couldn’t help but smirk. Yep, that sounded just like Mr. D. But he still had more questions. “So why are you showing yourself to me, my lady?”

Dionysia smiled at that, her lips curling at the corners. “I think you’re the first to ever address me with that title, little half-blood. But to answer your question, I was visiting my father, and was just getting ready to leave when I felt a heavy sadness in this particular cabin. I couldn’t help but visit and try to lighten things up with my presence.”

She was grinning now and she lifted a dainty hand, her middle finger and thumb coming together in a sharp snap. Nico’s eyes widened as dozens of bottles of wine appeared in his cabin. Red wine, white wine, from the most expensive brands, to the cheapest convenience store brands, they were _all_ there. “Why don’t you tell me all about your troubles over a glass of wine, little demigod? I haven’t had a good tragedy in millennia.”

Nico eyed Dionysia warily, his lips pursed in deep thought. Well, she was relatively harmless…and she was rather nice. And who was he to reject a goddess, be it major or minor? He shrugged dismissively, one glass couldn’t hurt. “Sure, why not.”

Dionysia squealed in delight, snatching up a random bottle from the hardwood floor. Nico could barely make its label due to his dyslexia, but he soon disregarded that fact; the daughter of the wine god wouldn’t have anything but the best served for herself, and hopefully for her company. She plopped down onto the bare mattress excitedly, her gossamer dress billowing around her and causing Nico to look away unless he wished to catch a glimpse of her nether regions. She snapped again and two fairly large glass goblets appeared in midair, floating until she grabbed them eagerly. “This is going to be absolutely _joyous_ little—.”

“My name is Nico.”

She paused, blinking curiously as she tilted her head to the side, her black curls following the movement. “Nee—ko?”

Nico couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across his face at that. “Nico.”

“Neeeeeko?”

“Repeat after me: Nico,” the son of Hades put extra emphasis on his name, his smile widening when she repeated after him.

“Ni…co.”

“You’ve got it!”

She smiled, and said his name again, this time more smoothly. “Nico!”

“Perfect.”

“You should expect nothing less from me,” she scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder dramatically and she spared a glance at the wine bottle, and seconds later it rose on its own, filling their goblets until the deep red liquid nearly sloshed over the side.

“Of course not, _my lady_ ,” he teased, accepting the gracious serving of wine from its place between her skilled fingers.

She waved a hand dismissively at that, gulping down her wine rapidly—now Nico knew why her lips were so red. “There’s no need for that, Dionysia with suffice.”

“How about I call you…Sia?”

Her dark brows furrowed at that. “Why, do you have difficulty saying my name?”

Nico smiled, liking the way he could relax around her. She reminded him greatly of Persephone, the only immortal he was truly close with. “No, it will be a nickname.”

“A…nickname? I’m not sure I understand, little demi— _Nico_.”

He shrugged, sipping his wine, then helping himself to more as the slightly bitter taste hit his tongue. “A nickname is…an endearing or humorous name given to someone, usually that you know closely.”

Dionysia made an appreciative sound. “I think I like this…nickname. Sia I will be, just for you little Nico. Now, I wish to know more about you.”

Over the next three hours, the two talked and drank, consuming more bottles of wine than Nico ever thought possible. Every time they were on what he thought was the last bottle, another dozen reappeared, and Nico couldn’t find it in himself to refuse each cup Dionysia offered him. By this time, he was starting to feel a bit hazy, and he couldn’t even remember what cup he was on. “You know, you’re not bad…for an immortal,” he slurred, leaning heavily on the goddess.

“You’re not,” Dionysia hiccupped, “So bad yourself.”

Nico giggled and slid to the floor, the raven-haired goddess following his lead as she responded with her own uncontrollable laughter, and soon the two were writhing on the ground, laughing for reasons they did not know. Dionysia was the first to get herself together, and she wiped away her joyous tears gracefully. “I must leave soon, little Nico, son of Hades; but I will return shortly so that I may visit you, despite my father’s wishes. You must remember not to tell anyone of our encounter; especially not my father.”

“Aww, do you _have_ to go?” Nico grumbled, clutching her hand sloppily.

“I’m afraid I must, but we will have one last drink before I leave, yes?”

“Of course!”

She picked up another bottle, this one different from the previous wine containers. “Wuz dat?” Nico frowned slightly motioning in the direction of the bottle.

“This,” she pulled the cork out of the opening, a hazy vapor escaping the bottle, “is my favorite drink. Aphrodite herself had it made for one of her gatherings and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Aphrodite? Well that sounded like trouble. But it was only wine, and Dionysia was preparing to leave so…he might as well. He held out his goblet, focusing all of his concentration on not wobbling the cup as Dionysia filled his cup to the rim. “ _Grazie_ ,” he murmured, placing the cup to his lips and gulping down the drink quickly, much to the goddess’s dismay.

“Nico, not so fast!”

The son of Hades ignored her, downing the rest of the liquid in his glass. He smacked his lips loudly, savoring the taste on the tip of his tongue; this wine was different than the others, it was sweeter, and had a warm taste to it. Nico thrust his cup out to the young woman. “Another!”

“But…oh Styx, why not,” Dionysia acquiesced pouring him another cup, “Don’t get upset with me when the effects begin, little Nico.”

“It’s just wine, Sia,” he muttered around a mouthful of the sugary liquid.

“No, my dear Nico, it is what you demigods and mortals would call an Aphrodisiac,” she pointed out as she poured him a third helping.

He giggled clutching the goblet to his chest; much like a child would hold a teddy bear. “That’s a _big_ word. What’s it mean?”

She grinned mischievously as she showed him the empty bottle when he held out his newly emptied cup once more. “I shall let you find that out, little demigod.”

“But…”

“Now, I must be on my way. I do not wish to be in your presence when the effects of the drink begin.”

Nico felt a strange warmth in the pit of his stomach as Dionysia stood from the floor. “Ugh…I feel weird,” he mumbled, squinting his down at his stomach as if he would be able to see the problem properly this way.

Dionysia’s eyes widened, “It’s starting sooner than I expected; it must be due to the large quantity that you consumed.”

Then goddess leaned down and brushed her lips against his cheek lightly. “I pray for anyone who stumbles upon you, my dear half-blood.”

And with those final words, she disappeared, a faint smell of grapes the only indication that she had been there in the first place. Nico groaned softly, tossing aside the goblet in his hand, not noticing it had disappeared instead of shattered. Why was it so… _warm_ in here? He fanned himself rapidly with one hand as he brushed his dark bangs off of his forehead. He was so hot, and so…hard.

** Jason’s POV **

Jason couldn’t help but feel responsible for him and Nico’s dispute. He knew he was absolutely right; Nico _did_ let Percy walk all over him, and he would never comply with letting the son of Poseidon do so. But Nico wasn’t quite wrong either; Jason knew for a fact the son of Hades was stronger than people thought, but he couldn’t help sticking up for and protecting him, and he would never apologize for doing so. But he needed to let Nico fight his own battles, no matter how protective he was of the younger teen, he couldn’t shield him forever, and believe him, he would if he could.

A few hours after their spat, Jason found himself at Nico’s cabin door, his fist hovering between over the wood of the entrance. “Come on, Grace,” he muttered to himself, forcing out a breath as he knocked on the door firmly.

He waited for a moment, guessing the young demigod was asleep until he heard a quiet groan and a rustling noise from inside the cabin. His brows furrowed in confusion, he knocked once more, then gave up on being decent, and twisted the knob and pushed the door open slowly. “Nico…?”

The sight that awaited him was one to behold; the son of Hades was slouched on the floor, his pale cheeks were flushed a deep shade of pink and his chest lifting rapidly with his quick pants. “Gods, are you okay?” Jason asked closing the door quickly as Nico moaned loudly.

“J-J-Jason, c’mere,” Nico whimpered pitifully as he shifted uncomfortably on the hardwood floor.

Jason was kneeling by his side in an instant, feeling his forehead to make sure the boy didn’t have fever. “What’s the matt—,” before he could finish his sentence, his was pressed onto the floor, and Nico was straddling his waist.

Jason froze as Nico giggled huskily into his ear. “Fooled you, Golden Boy.”

“N-Nico, what are you doing?” Jason sputtered as the son of Hades began nibbling on his right ear.

“You’re so silly, Jason.”

The son of Jupiter was at a complete loss for words when he felt Nico drag his warm tongue over his earlobe. “Nico—.”

“Shh, don’t say a word.”

Jason gulped heavily as Nico licked his way down his neck, stopping here and there to focus more attention on one place than the other. Soon, Nico was pulling back and stripping off his dark t-shirt, his lean muscles flexing with every movement; and here Jason thought he was scrawny and stick like. _You have a_ girlfriend _Jason, get it together!_

The son of Jupiter snapped out of it at the sound of his own voice ringing through his head. “Nico, you need to stop,” he said as firmly as he could, considering the situation he was currently in.

The young demigod poked out his bottom lip, his heavy lids lowering coyly and causing his sooty lashes to fan out over his flushed cheekbones. “But don’t you wanna fuck me, Jason?”

Whoa. Jason cleared his throat and shook his head feverishly. “N-No, I can’t.”

“But I want you to fuck me,” Nico leaned down, his lips hovering over Jason’s own, “Didn’t you say you’d do anything for me?”

Did he really say that? If so, what in the _hell_ was he thinking. “I think…but not something like this, Neeks.”

“Why not? You said you wanted me to be happy, and this would make me more than happy, Jason…”

Jason shook his head, turning away when Nico leaned in closer. “Haven’t I been a good boy? No? Then punish me _praetor_ ,” Nico bit down on Jason’s earlobe, “Spank me.”

Gods, where did he learn to _talk_ like that? “Nico, stop it,” Jason protested weakly, his eyes squeezing shut as Nico began to kiss down his jaw.

“Do you want me to beg for it?”

“No—.”

“ _Please_ , fuck me praetor. I want your big dick in my tight little ass. Can I suck your cock, praetor? Please?”

Jason’s breath was coming in heavy puffs now, and he couldn’t stop the younger demigod when he pressed a sensual kiss to his parted lips. Nico groaned against his lips, tangling his fingers in the blonde locks as he gyrated against Jason’s growing erection. “Jason…fuck me,” Nico whispered against his moist lips.

“I-I-I…”

“Please? Don’t you want me?” Nico nipped Jason’s lower lip teasingly.

“You’re in love with Percy, and—and I have Piper, we shouldn’t—.”

“But I don’t _want_ Percy to fuck me, I want _you_ to.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jason breathed out as he caught the scent of alcohol on Nico’s breath, “You’re drunk, you don’t know what you want.”

“Haven’t you heard? A drunken mind speaks a sober heart.”

Jason didn’t know how to respond to that, and he wasn’t exactly sure he had the breath to do so anyway. Nico pressed their lips together once more, this time delving his tongue into Jason’s mouth, and toying with the flaccid appendage, trying to coax it into action. Gods, Piper was going to _kill_ him; she would probably charmspeak him off the edge of a cliff. But his subconscious didn’t seem to recognize that as it forced his tongue into action, stroking the invading object in his mouth. Nico moaned happily at that, and he tilted his head to the side slightly to deepen the kiss as their tongues battled for dominance.

When they broke apart, both teens were panting heavily, and Nico began sliding his hands beneath Jason’s shirt, the fabric rising with the movement. “Nico, no—.”

“Please? I want to feel your hard cock in my ass, praetor. Will you give it to me?”

“I can’t.”

“I want you to fuck me so hard that I won’t be able to remember my name; can you do that?”

“I…I won’t.”

“Then can you fuck me so hard that I won’t be able to walk tomorrow?”

“Stop it, Neeks,” Jason hissed when Nico bit down on his neck.

“I need to feel you inside me,” the boy whimpered, suckling on Jason’s neck seductively.

Jason groaned softly as Nico gripped his erection, rubbing it through the front of his jeans which were becoming tighter with every second that passed. Nico kissed back up his neck, placing a short, and deep kiss on his lips. “Jason, fuck me.”

The rational and irrational parts of his brain were currently at war with one another, and for once, he wasn’t sure which side would win. “ _Fuck me_ ,” Nico demanded more insistently this time, grinding his ass into Jason’s hard member.  And in that moment, the son of Jupiter's self restraint snapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ultimate cliffhanger. [;  
> *Dionysia IS an original character, so if you'd ever like to use her in a story, please ask me first.  
> Merci.


	7. You Can't Control Who You Love in Your Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He belongs to us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello you sexy little persons! [;  
> First off, thanks to those who leave kudos and comments, and even those who do neither but take the time to read the story. You people are amazing.  
> Secondly, I've tried to make it a goal to post a new chapter at least once every two weeks, seeing as I have a much busier schedule now than I did before.  
> Another thing, I will be changing up the song lyrics as titles as I continue to write, seeing as I am running out in the song I'm currently using. Suggestions maybe?  
> Anyways, as always, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy. [:

** Jason’s POV **

Jason lunged at the son the of Hades—who was currently straddling his hips—and pinned him to the hardwood floor, Nico smirking at him the whole way down. “This should be fun,” Nico purred, attempting to sit up and press a kiss to Jason’s lips, which were currently in a grim, straight line.

Jason pushed Nico back down, pinning the boy down by his shoulders with one hand, then reaching out to stroke the younger teen’s pink, flushed skin. “This is going to hurt, okay?” Jason warned, though he knew Nico was currently oblivious to what he was talking about.

“Just do it,” Nico moaned, bucking up his hips to grind against the son of Jupiter.

“You asked for it,” Jason murmured, ghosting his fingertips over Nico’s jaw line.

He began chewing on the inside of his cheek as he studiously focused on the task at hand, Nico making it all the more difficult as he continued writhing wantonly beneath the blonde teen. Then, with one last reassuring look directed at the boy below him, he let the electricity spark over his fingers, transferring into Nico’s skin. The boy’s dark brown eyes widened, before he shuddered, suddenly falling still as his lids slid shut simultaneously. “Thanks gods,” Jason muttered, sliding off of Nico’s still, slumbering form.

He had worried that he would use an excessive amount of voltage in an attempt to put the boy to sleep, and end up frying his brain instead. But he had to try, he knew Nico would never forgive him if he had given into temptation and slept with the boy while he was incoherent. Speaking of which, what in Pluto’s name did that boy drink?

Jason mulled over the thought as he scooped up Nico, the boy limp in his grasp but breathing deeply as he was carefully deposited onto the undressed bed. Jason felt his face heating up as he lifted Nico’s discarded shirt from the floor and carefully slid it back onto the boy’s lithe form, careful not to jar the teen in his deep sleep.

After Jason had spent as much time as possible busying himself with the tidying of Nico’s cabin and making the boy as comfortable as possible, he slid to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest as he worried his lower lip between his teeth, and soon the thoughts he had attempted to avoid began flooding his mind.

He let Nico kiss him. And worst of all, he had kissed him back while simultaneously never wanting the locking of lips to end. He made a desperate sound in the back of his throat as he buried his head in his folded arms. What was _wrong_ with him? He had a perfectly good girlfriend—scratch that. A completely _perfect_ girlfriend, and here he was kissing the son of Hades behind her back. _I really_ am _my father’s son, aren’t I?_ Jason snorted dejectedly at the thought, clenching his fist until he felt the sting of his fingernails biting into his skin. Golden Boy, they called him? He was nothing more than a fake, an imposter really. His glory didn’t exceed his father’s name. Without being a son of Jupiter, he’d be a nobody; just a nice, blonde demigod with a peculiar scar on his lip. Nothing more, nothing less.

And why _had_ he allowed Nico to kiss him anyway? As far as he knew, he was completely straight; he appreciated female assets much like many males would. It wasn’t as if the thought of being gay or bisexual horrified him; he was a Roman _demigod_ for crying out loud. Even the gods had their escapades with both genders and had no qualms about it, so why should he? But…he’d never even taken liking a guy into consideration until now. Until _Nico_.He had never been attracted to another male until he actually took time to reflect on the younger teens looks. _Not saying I’m actually_ attracted _to him of course,_ Jason hurriedly corrected himself.

But it wasn’t just the raven-haired teen’s looks that had him hooked. It was _him_ ; his attitude, loyalty, his obliviousness to how _amazing_ he actually was. Sure Nico had his cons; he had a mouth like no other and was quick to jump to conclusions. He wasn’t always very appreciative of what people did for him, nor was he always the kindest person to be around. But none of that mattered. Nico was Nico, and Jason had learned to accept him and his horrid potty mouth. But that didn’t mean he wanted to _be_ with the son of Hades. He loved Piper. At least…he _thinks_ he does.

He’d never been exactly sure of what _love_ really is; it differs from person-to-person and not even the best dictionary could correctly define the word, or the emotion. But it didn’t matter. He didn’t know if was in love with Piper, but he most definitely knew he was in _like_ with her. He wasn’t sure if Piper would care anymore once he confessed to his infidelity; and he _had_ to confess to her, lest he wanted to be eaten from the inside out by his raging guilt.

He…he would tell her. Eventually.  He just wasn’t sure if he had the nerve to do so yet. He wasn’t ready. The son of Jupiter knew he wouldn’t be able to stand the look of hurt on his girlfriend’s features, similar to the one she wore when she found out he had no idea who she really was when they had first met. That the time she had thought they’d spent together were merely illusions created by the Mist. All he wanted to do was be the best boyfriend he could be after that, he never wanted to be the one who put that look on her face again, and by confessing to her, he knew he would.

 _Excuses, excuses,_ he scolded himself, wincing at the truth in his own words. Piper deserved the right to know, the right to deem him worthy of forgiveness. He couldn’t just take that away from her, and he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he kept his betrayal from her.

 _Just do it like a band aid, Grace; fast, and simple. It will sting at first, but it will be worth it in the end._ Would it really be worth it? He didn’t want to lose his precious daughter of Aphrodite; she meant so much to him. He felt his heart pounding heavily in his chest as the thought of admitting his wrongs, and in that moment, he made a split second decision. Jason took a deep, shaky breath as he stood, reluctantly deciding that he would tell his girlfriend in that moment. He didn’t think he could wait any longer; his guilt was tearing him apart.

He spared a glance back towards the slumbering boy, his raven hair splayed out around his soft, pale face as shifted in his sleep, then stilled once more. Jason was sure he’d be out for another thirty to forty-five minutes, meaning he had more than enough time to confess to Piper.

Jason walked to the door jerkily and pulled it open, his movements borderline robotic as he stepped out into the mild heat of the evening. He began his trek to the Aphrodite cabin, forcing himself not to turn back as the tidy, baby pink cabin came into view, the smell of various designer fragrances hitting his nose already. When he came to the door, he knocked tentatively, then stepped back, his hands fidgeting at his sides as the door was pulled open. An adorable blonde girl with braces who looked to be twelve or eleven opened the door; Jason was pretty sure her name was Lacy. “Oh, Jason!” she chirped, flashing him a sweet smile, “Are you here to see Piper?”

He nodded, forcing a small smile onto his face as she squealed, her blonde pigtail swishing around as she jumped excitedly. “You two are so cute,” she sighed, turning back to the fairly empty cabin, “Piper?”

“Yeah?” was Piper’s distant answer from somewhere beyond Jason’s view, and his heart rate picked up; he had been silently hoping she wouldn’t be there so that he could postpone this confrontation.

“Jason’s here to see you,” the young girl sang teasingly, smiling as her half sister came into view.

The daughter of Aphrodite appeared, dressed in her orange Camp Half-Blood tee, along with a modest pair of denim shorts, a surprised look fixed on her face. Piper’s choppy locks were pulled away from her face and sat messily in bun atop her head. The daughter of Aphrodite probably thought the look was somewhat casual, but to Jason…it just took his breath away, which was sort of a problem considering he was short of breath anyway. Piper smiled at him, her smile accentuating her nearly flawless looks. “Hey, Jason.”

He nodded his acknowledgement and swallowed around the lump in his throat. “H-Hey, do you think we could talk?”

Piper’s brows rose curiously as she shrugged, sliding on a pair of dark blue flip flops that sat by the door, then slipping on her signature fleece snowboarding jacket over her camp t-shirt. “Of course. Lacy, I’ll be back later, okay? Hold down the fort for me while I’m gone.”

Lacy giggled as Piper winked exaggeratingly at her. “Yeah, yeah.”

Then Piper turned to him, the corners of her lips curling up in a small smile. “Where to?”

“Um, uh, how about the lake?” Jason stuttered, shifting restlessly on his feet.

“What’s got you so flustered?” Piper asked good naturedly as she and Jason began making their way towards the body of water.

“N-Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Uh huh. You look ready to vomit, Jason.”

Jason shook his head feverishly as the lake came into view, much faster than he had expected it to. Of course that just added to his anxiety, and he balled his hands into fists as he settled himself on the shore of the lake. Piper plopped down next to him, leaning into his side. “I…I’m sorry for earlier,” she blurted out suddenly, toying with sleeves of Jason’s shirt, “I was wrong for saying that about Nico. I’m just…jealous. You two spend so much time together, and it drives me crazy. I know he’s your friend, and I know he needs you, but—but I need you too. I miss the times when it just me, you, and Leo; we were the three musketeers, the three amigos.”

Jason couldn’t help but smile gently at that despite his increasing apprehension. Piper continued, her smile soft and easygoing, “But now Nico consumes your time, and it hurts, Jason, it really does. You two do things that I wish you and I could do. You spoil him endlessly, you’re excessively protective over him, and you seem to always want to be in his presence. Why _wouldn’t_ I be jealous?”

She smiled up at him, then pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. “I may not get it, or like it, but I accept it, okay? You’re the only person he’s got beside Hazel; he really does need you, as much as I hate to admit it. I guess what I’m trying to say is…I’m sorry. More than sorry. Do you think you could forgive me?”

Jason’s hands trembled at his sides as Piper gaze up at him through remorseful, kaleidoscope eyes, and as much as he wanted to pretend the thing with Nico never happened, he had to tell her. And her heartfelt apology wasn’t making it any easier on him. “Pipes…I-I have to tell you something.”

Piper’s perfectly groomed brows rose at the abrupt change in topic, but she nodded hesitantly anyway. “Alright, shoot.”

“Well, I’m…just…please don’t be—he—.”

“Come on, Jace, spit it out,” Piper teased, her eyes twinkling with mirth and hope.

“I-I-I…Nico, he uh, kissed me,” Jason blurted out, his stomach coiling into knots at his own words.

Jason felt Piper freeze, her eyes widening and her face falling. “He _what_?”

He wanted to put the blame on Nico, and save himself the trouble, but he knew he couldn’t, he was better than that. And he needed to take ownership of his own actions. This being said, he couldn’t stop himself now that he had gotten out the first part. “And—and I let him. I kissed him back.”

Piper’s eyes widened further as she slowly moved away from Jason’s side. “ _What?_ ” she whispered hoarsely, her shifting eyes glistening.

“H-He was drunk, and he was just…off his rocker, and he was, and…we kissed.”

Piper was breathing raggedly as she pushed herself to her feet, tottering in a nearly drunken fashion as reached out for a handhold. Jason was on his feet in half a second, reaching out to steady her before she stumbled back, her eyes full of betrayal and unshed tears. “D-Don’t t-touch me,” she commanded, holding out her hand in front of her as if that would ward him off.

“Piper—.”

“No! No, you’re lying…you’re kidding, right?”

“I—.”

“Please, tell me you’re joking,” she pleaded, her voice trembling with every word.

“I’m sorry,” Jason’s voice cracked pathetically as he watched tears begin to trail down Piper’s beautiful face.

Her lower lip trembled as she tried to keep in the pitiful sounds, but failed miserably. Jason’s heart broke as a sob forced its way out of Piper’s chest, her face crumbling with the realization that he was being completely honest. “Oh—oh _gods_ ,” she sobbed, bringing her shaking hands up to cover her face.

“Piper, I’m sorry. I’m so, so, sorry,” Jason croaked, reaching out to the girl in front of him, only to pull his hand back helplessly as she took another step back.

“ _Why_ , what did I _do_ , Jason?!” Piper cried, her voice muffled by her hands, “What did I do to deserve this?! What did I do wrong? Am I too headstrong? W-Was it what I said about—.”

Jason cringed, clenching his fist and feeling his nails bite into his skin. “You didn’t do _anything,_ Piper; you’re…you’re amaz—.”

“Then _why_ ,” Piper sobbed, “Why did you do this to me?”

The son of Jupiter cringed. His father must be a heartless bastard if he could cheat on Juno time after time again and barely bat an eye. Did Juno cry when Jupiter confessed to cheating? Is she hurt every time she looks at the Apollo and Diana, the results of her husband’s blatant infidelity? No wonder she’s known as bitter to mortals, demigods, and immortals alike. No wonder why she _hates_ him, he would hate himself too if he were in her position.

Would Piper hate him? The girl in question continued to cry, her choked sobs causing Jason’s heart to clench over and over again. “I’m sorry, Piper. I screwed up, and I’m _sorry_. I know it’s not enough, but…”

He didn’t know how to finish. He didn’t deserve to ask for her forgiveness, or ask if they could be friends, or even ask if she would just brush his betrayal aside; he didn’t have the _audacity_ to do those things. He knew she was in love with him. She had told him multiple times before, but he was too unsure of his own feelings to respond in kind. She had understood and said she would wait—she would wait for him to fall in love with her. But it wouldn’t have taken that long, he way more than halfway there.

But now…now he had broken her heart, and he didn’t deserve her; whether it be her friendship of simply her affection, he didn’t deserve it. By the time he had shaken himself from his thoughts, Piper had attempted to pull herself together, her kaleidoscope eyes holding a sharp edge in them. “We’re through,” she rasped, tears still trailing down her angular face, “I-I never want to see you again.”

Her voice cracked along with her hard demeanor, and she covered her mouth as another sob began forcing it way out of her lips. She turned and fled, but not before Jason could see the broken look in her eyes. He was left with loads of guilt, his shoulders sagging under the hypothetical weight and he stumbled blindly back to Nico’s cabin, ignoring Leo as he greeted him. “Wonder Boy?” Leo asked worriedly, pausing in the middle of the pathway as Jason bypassed him, his eyes fixed on the ground.

“I-I’ll catch you later, Leo,” Jason assured him hoarsely.

And then he was walking faster, ignoring Leo’s calls for him to come back. When he reached the door of the Hades cabin, he pushed it open, welcoming the dim lighting the cabin provided. His breath caught in his chest as soon as he shut the door and he slid down the wall, the stinging in his eyes assuring him that there would be tears to come soon. He pulled his knees up to his chest, then placed his arms atop his kneecaps, burying his head in the folds as the first tear trailed down his cheek silently.

He was such a fuck up.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico woke up, groaning softly at the dull throbbing in his head; he felt as if he’d been tackled by an entire team of football players. He sat up slowly, pausing as a wave of nausea threatened to overtake him if he moved to quickly. He froze as he heard a rustling sound originating from the front of his cabin, and he turned to see Jason, settled on the floor, his knees pulled against his chest and his head buried in his arms. _Why the hell is_ he _here?_ Nico thought, tilting his head to the side slightly.

Last time he checked, the son of Jupiter had been upset with him, so what was he doing back here? But that was soon forgotten as he heard Jason sniffle softly. Cautiously, he slid off of his bed, biting back a groan as his head throbbed more painfully at the movement. He slowly approached Jason, kneeling down beside him when he reached the blonde. “Jason, you okay?”

Jason tensed, but ignored him, remaining relatively still. Nico frowned, reaching up and tugging on a strand of golden locks teasingly. “Golden Boy?”

Still, no response from Jason. Was he asleep? He doubted it, the older teen was way too aware of his surroundings. Nico’s frown deepened as Jason didn’t say a word for the next five minutes, barely moving over the span of that short time. “Jace?”

Gods, now it was just becoming irritating. The blonde came to _his_ cabin to sleep, or to ignore him? If that was so, frankly, it pissed him off. “Would you stop ignoring me?” Nico snapped, forcing Jason’s head up, his dark eyes widening at the sight that awaited him.

Tears were trailing down the older demigod’s slightly tanned face, his blue eyes tinged red as a result of the warm, salty droplets. Jason averted his gaze, blinking slowly. “Jason,” Nico whispered softly, gently, “What’s wrong?”

“Me.”

Nico was surprised when he answered, thinking he would have to do a hell of a lot of coaxing to get the older teen to speak. Despite his astonishment, he forced himself to respond. “You?”

“Me,” Jason confirmed, his normally bright blue eyes dim.

“How?”

“I’m a fuck up,” Jason murmured, his voice rough with emotion.

“No you’re no—.”

Jason laughed bitterly at that, the sound harsh and unwelcoming; especially coming from the usually optimistic teen’s lips. “Don’t try and tell me about myself, I know exactly what I am.”

“You tell me about myself all the time,” Nico countered, placing a reassuring hand on Jason’s shoulder. He didn’t miss it as Jason flinched, shifting so that the boy’s pale hand fell off of his shoulder.

Nico cleared his throat, attempting to hide his hurt and surprise at the actions. “Anyway. You’re not a fuck up; if anyone is it’s me.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? The fact that we’re both fuck ups? I already knew that much.”

Nico recoiled at Jason’s venomous tone, trying to ignore the throbbing in his chest that the words dripping with animosity caused. Jason’s eyes softened and he shook his head. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, I just… _gods_ why do I always screw everything up?!”

Nico’s eyes widened with horror as he watched Jason’s hands fist in his hair, his eyes squeezing shut and his jaw clenching so hard the younger teen was surprised he didn’t hear the telltale crack of shattering teeth. “Jason! Stop it!” Nico commanded, his voice panicked as he watch Jason’s hands tighten in his golden blonde hair, his sculpted features contorting with pain at his own actions.

“You’re hurting yourself, stop!” Nico voice trembled worriedly as he tried to detangle Jason’s hands from his currently unkempt locks.

“Who cares?” Jason hissed his chest rising and falling rapidly with his hasty, choked breaths, “I hurt everyone else, and nothing ever happens to me. I _deserve_ it.”

Nico grasped Jason’s face in both of his hands tightly, searching his eyes nervously when they cracked open, a helpless look in their blue depths. “Jason, _breathe_.”

“I-I _can’t_.”

Nico knew what was happening; he was painfully familiar with breaking down after all. Jason was on the verge of a panic attack. The son of Hades quickly forced one of Jason’s hands from his golden hair and placed it on his own chest. “Breathe with me, okay?”

He remembered Persephone doing this to him. A few weeks after Gaea’s subjugation and he was remembering his scarring encounter with Cupid.

~*~

He was curled in a ball beneath one of Persephone’s trees, the trees that were not alive, not real, but in fact made of glittering jewels. His eyes were clenched shut, his breathing much too rapid to be normal, or healthy. “Nico?”

Persephone’s warm, motherly voice seemed distant, as if he were beneath a surface of some sort, an ocean maybe? But how was he still breathing? If he was underwater, it shouldn’t be okay that he was breathing; he could drown that way. So he held his breath. “Zeus almighty, Nico!”

Nico felt firm, yet gentle hands shaking him anxiously. “ _Breathe_ , Nico, breathe!”

Breathe? Why was she telling him to breathe? He knew she had once hated him but he thought they had gotten past their differences long ago. Did she really want him to drown? Despite Persephone’s commands, he continued holding his breath, his lungs screaming for the air he refused to give.

He began to feel hazy, like he was drifting, and he knew if he didn’t breathe in a few moments, he would either pass out, or he would inhale the water he was so positive he was submerged in. But he refused to inhale water, he’d rather faint. So he continued holding his breath, even as he felt his hand being grasped and pressed against something warm that was in constant movement. “Can you feel me breathing, Nico? I know you can.”

Of course he could, but Persephone was _immortal_ it was natural that she could breathe beneath water. When Persephone spoke again, her voice was more firm, more insistent. “Nico, I _command_ you to breathe!”

What, so that he could die? Yeah right. His hand was pressed more unyieldingly against the place he realized was her chest. “Your father will not be pleased if he comes ‘round and sees you unconscious beneath one of my trees.”

She was right. But beneath her trees? That would mean he was in the Underworld…where it was safe for him to breathe. “Nico, I want you to breathe with me, okay?”

He wasn’t sure if he nodded his consent, but Persephone began speaking again, her tone soothing and soft. “In. Out. In. Out. Yes, that’s right, keep going. In. Out. In. Out. On your own now.”

 _In. Out. In. Out. In. Out._ His eyes snapped open as he choked on one of his breaths, and when his vision cleared, he was staring into Persephone’s glistening orbs. The goddess smiled shakily, her hand sliding from his in favor of patting his cheek affectionately with a trembling hand. “You had me scared for a moment there, di Angelo.”

He averted his gaze, ashamed at being caught in such a weak position. But Persephone wasn’t having any of it. Hesitantly, the goddess pulled the boy into her arms, the smell of fresh flowers overpowering Nico’s senses as his head was pressed into her warm chest. “Don’t you ever do that again, you hear me?” Persephone’s voice was quaking as secured the son of Hades in her arms.

“I’m sorry mothe—,” Nico froze, snapping out of his hazy daze as he realized his mistake too late.

He felt Persephone tense, then relax immediately. “I’ve always wanted a son,” she murmured, her voice soft, and insecure opposed to her usually strong and regal tone, “And I…I don’t mind if that son is you.”

~*~

“Can you feel me breathing, Jason?” Nico asked softly, the fleeting memory in the back of his mind as Jason’s breathing pace doubled.

Jason nodded feverishly, his usually tidy hair currently disheveled and falling onto his forehead. “Good, good. Now, I need you to breathe with me, okay? Can you do that?”

The son of Jupiter nodded once after a moment’s hesitation. “Alright. In. Out. In. Out,” Nico was breathing deeply, setting the pace for Jason’s breaths.

“N-Nico, I _can’t_ —.”

“Yes you can, look, you’re doing great. Just don’t give up; in. Out. In. Out.”

After a few minutes of the steady breathing, Jason’s breath was back to normal; a little shaky, but much better than before. “You okay?” Nico asked softly, patting Jason’s cheek softly much like Persephone had done to him months prior.

Jason shook his head, the corners of his lips curling up into a small, tired, and a barely there smile. “You know, I’m selfish.”

“How so?” Nico asked warily, tempted to grasp Jason’s larger hands in case the older teen went into another fit.

“I…I’m the one who ruined out relationship, and yet I’m breaking down a crying as if it’s the other way around.”

Nico’s head tilted to the side slightly as he let Jason’s hand fall from his chest. “Huh?”

“Piper broke up with me.”

Nico froze, his jaw dropping open in shock. “ _What?!_ ”

Jason looked away, “It’s not her fault, it’s mine. She was right to do it. I probably would have been more surprised if she would have forgiven me and allowed us to stay together.”

“But…w-why would she do that?” Nico asked when he finally found words.

“Because we kissed,” Jason stated casually, much too nonchalantly for the words coming out of his mouth.

“We _what_?!”

“We kissed.”

“N-N-No we didn’t! What the hell are you talking about?” Nico sputtered angrily, his cheeks flushing with embarrassed anger as he shifted away from the older teen.

“You mean you don’t remember?”

“Obviously—.”

“Then allow me to refresh your memory,” Jason snapped suddenly, his eyes flashing angrily at Nico’s contradictions, “You were drunk when I came in here a few hours ago, I thought you were sick, but you weren’t. You basically attacked me and begged me to fuck you.”

Nico paled, and he shook his head feverishly. “T-That didn’t happen.”

“Yes, it _did_.”

“I would know if…” Nico paused, recounting the fleeting moments he remembered with Dionysia before the rest of the night went blank. Unsurprisingly, one stuck out to him most of all: _No, my dear Nico, it is what you demigods and mortals would call an Aphrodisiac_.

“Fucking Aphrodisiac!” Nico shouted, pushing himself to his feet quickly.

Jason looked up at him from his spot on the floor, his anger slowly fading away as it gave way to curiosity. “Aphrodisiac…? Isn’t that—.”

“A food, drink, or drug that stimulates sexual desires,” Nico face was burning fiercely as he spat out the words, “Yeah, that’s exactly what it is.”

“Where the hell did you get an Aphrodisiac from?”

“From that meddling, sneaky, little—.”

“A name, all I need is a name Nico.”

He opened his mouth, then paused, snapping his orifice shut quickly. “I-I can’t tell you.”

“What do you mean ‘you can’t tell me’?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

“Nico this… _Aphrodisiac_ is what contributed in ruining my relationship, and you won’t tell me?” Jason growled out.

“I can’t, I said I wouldn’t.”

“Did you swear it on the River Styx?”

“No…”

“Then you can tell me.”

“I can, but I won’t.”

Jason stood up abruptly from his spot on the floor, his sky blue eyes burning fiercely. “You won’t?”

“Exactly,” Nico lifted his head a notch stubbornly, refusing to be intimidated by the teen before him. He told Dionysia he wouldn’t tell anyone of her existence, and he kept his promises, whether they were on the River Styx or not.

“I lost my _relationship_ because of this and you _still_ won’t tell me?” Jason nearly growled out.

“I’m sorry that all of this happened, I really am, but—.”

“Your apologies don’t fix anything! At the end of the day, whether you apologize or not, I still don’t have Piper.”

“And if tell you who I got the Aphrodisiac from, you think that will fix things?” Nico questioned dubiously, a black brow rising with his words.

“I—fuck, I don’t know! I just want her back, okay?”

“I’ll just tell her it was my fault, good enough for you?”

Jason tensed, then a few seconds later, his shoulders slumped, and his anger began to fade once again when he spoke next. “No…no, because it wasn’t only your fault, it was mine too.”

Nico snorted softly, trying not to feel dumbfounded by his actions an hour or so prior. “No, I’m the one who nearly… _y’know_ ,” Nico’s hands fumbled as he began gesturing suggestively, “You.”

Jason scoffed, his eyes still brimming with hurt and loss, but his words were slightly disbelieving. “After all you asked me to do to you; you can’t even say _that_ word.”

Nico felt his face heating and he began shifting on his feet nervously. “I had no idea you were so kinky,” Jason murmured absently, his eyes taking on a distant look.

“I’m not!”

“You asked me to spank you,” Jason pointed out, his words ending in a yawn.

“What?!”

“That wasn’t even the worst of it,” the son of Jupiter muttered, wiping dried tears from his face.

“I don’t want to know!”

“I wasn’t planning on telling you.”

“What if I asked?”

“I still wouldn’t tell you. Hey Nico, do you have a power kink or something?” Jason asked tiredly, his lids lowering as he began to lean back against the wall.

Nico choked. “Why the hell would you ask me that, you weirdo?!”

“Because you kept calling me praetor.”

Oh gods. He didn’t...he _couldn’t_ have. “Just…go to sleep Jason.”

“I can’t.”

“How come?”

“I haven’t kissed Piper goodnight,” Jason murmured quietly.

Nico swallowed heavily. It was his fault. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For…for, you know, ruining your relationship. I know it doesn’t fix anything, but I still am.”

Jason chuckled, his lids falling shut completely. “You didn’t ruin it, I did.”

“Stop blaming yourself. If I wouldn’t have…” Nico trailed off as he heard Jason’s breathing deepen.

“…Yeah? I’m still listening,” Jason mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Now it was Nico’s turn to chuckle, “Go to bed, Grace.”

“But—.”

“We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Mhm.”

Nico hurried over to his drawers and pulled out a travel sized blanket and pillow. He then returned to Jason’s side and tugged the older teen towards the bed. Jason protested only momentarily before he limply fell face forward onto the bed; Nico swore he fell asleep the moment he hit the mattress. Dutifully, Nico spread the fleece black over Jason’s slumbering form, the older teen’s face pressed to the mattress, though that did nothing to put his handsome looks to shame. Nico shook the thought from his head as he slipped the small pillow beneath the blonde’s head, the older demigod’s pink tinted lips parting at the movement. Nico found himself eyeing the teen’s soft looking lips absently though quite curiously. Did he really kiss Jason?

Nico felt his face heating at the thought of doing so. The son of Jupiter must have been horrified, after all, Nico had jumped him, and supposedly begged the blonde to… _you know_ him. Man did he have a bone to pick with a certain curly haired, red lipped, goddess. What the hell had he been thinking to drink with her anyway? She could have easily poisoned him, not to mention that she was _a daughter of Dionysus_. What was he thinking? Obviously she could hold anything she tossed back, but him, not so much. He barely even remembered how much he drank; he just hoped he didn’t start vomiting soon.

Unconsciously, he patted his stomach affectionately, then immediately stopped, scowling at his own childish actions. He needed something to do. Something to hold him over until Jason woke up and they could speak properly about all that transpired. His brows furrowed as his eyes roamed around his cabin, which was strangely tidy. Immediately, his gaze fell back to the blonde hero sprawled out on his bed who was currently snoring softly. Of course Jason had cleaned his cabin; it was so like him to do so. Rolling his eyes, he eyed the nearly full box of cigarettes that had slid beneath his bed sometime earlier that evening. Should he? Nico took a slow step forward, eyeing Jason carefully as if the son of Jupiter would pop up and berate him. The son of Hades snorted softly at his own ridiculousness as he slowly lowered himself to his knees. One couldn’t hurt. And he would even crack a window so that Jason could continue to sleep soundly. He reached out, his nimble fingertips nearly brushing the opened box until a loud knock came from the other side of the door. Startled, he snatched his hand back, almost positive Jason had woken up. He squeezed his eyes shut, ready for another chastisement about how harmful the cancer sticks could be, about how he was too young to be smoking; yes, all of that wonderful crap.

But Jason’s words never came, instead, the knock sounded again, louder and more insistent this time around. Casting a wistful look at the cigarettes, Nico rose to his feet, approaching the door slowly, seeing as the only person who would show up at his door was currently sleeping in his bed. Soon, he gripped the knob, then cracked open the door, genuinely surprised at who was standing before him. “Leo,” he greeted, casually leaning in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest coolly.

The young, son of Hephaestus looked strange, and it took Nico a moment to figure out why. The impish smile the Latino usually wore on his elfish features was gone, his lips instead twisted in a grimace, probably the closest thing he could get to a smile at the moment. Leo nodded curtly, eyeing Nico seriously, his normally fidgety hands still at his side, one hand grasping the bag in his hand tightly. Leo shoved a laundry bag at him that was undoubtedly full of his things and the young Italian nearly stumbled at the force of which it was handed to him. He set the bag aside and cleared his throat awkwardly, brushing a few strands of dark hair out of his eyes when Leo didn’t move away from the door. “If you’re looking for Jason, he’s asleep right now—.”

“I didn’t come to talk to Jason; I came to talk to you.”

Nico’s raven brows rose dubiously at the words. “To me…? Whatever, what I can I do help you with, Valdez,” the son of Hades asked dispassionately, brushing imaginary pieces of lint off of his shoulder before looking back at the teen before him boredly.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Leo demanded subtly more than asked.

“Why?”

“So that we can talk.”

Nico shrugged, “We can talk right here.”

“Yeah, we can’t but this talk just so happens to be private,” Leo stepped away from the door, “So how about joining me?”

Nico stared at him disinterestedly before he rolled his eyes, the action languid and probably rude. But at the moment, he didn’t really care, he just wanted to smoke a cig and have a chat with someone. Someone like Persephone, she was always easy to talk to. “I’d rather not, thanks for the offer though—.”

“It wasn’t an offer; it was more like a good natured command. Here, I’ll put it this way; I want to talk to you and I don’t want to do it with Jason just beyond the door. So you’re going to take a walk with me so we can chat a little.”

Nico’s brows rose at Leo’s tone. The usually lighthearted boy wasn’t messing around. After a few moments hesitation Nico responded, “Fine. Let’s just get this over with already.”

Leo looked pleased as he turned, probably knowing Nico would follow right behind him. The son of Hades growled as he did just that; he wasn’t a fucking lapdog and he didn’t intend to be treated as such. “Where are we going?” Nico asked after a few minutes of tense silence and brisk walking.

“To the amphitheater,” Leo responded tersely just as Nico was beginning to think he wouldn’t answer.

“The amphitheater? Why so far?”

This time Leo didn’t answer, but merely doubled his pace, causing the smaller teen behind him to do the same. About five minutes later, they had reached the amphitheater, and Nico had to stop himself from collapsing onto one of logs with exhaustion. Why didn’t he just shadow travel there? It would have been so much easier. But he then reminded himself that he had been depending too much on his power lately and it was slowly but surely sapping his energy as he did so, and causing him to need ten plus hours of sleep. And with the saga going on in his life right now, he was sure he would need all the energy he could get.

Nico watched as Leo lowered himself down onto a log slowly, his eyes trained on the raven haired demigod before him. “Sit, I’m not going to bite.”

The son of Hades snorted softly, then carefully lowered himself onto the log as well, a considerable distance from the son of Hephaestus. “So…?” he prompted softly as Leo continued to watch him closely, forcing himself not to squirm under the hard stare.

“You kissed Jason.”

Nico felt the blood drain from his face at the words, his body simultaneously freezing up as he felt a lump form in his throat. Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit_! Leo knew?! He couldn’t have the whole camp knowing he might be, could be, _probably_ was gay. He shuddered at the thought, his hands clenching at his sides at the word he hadn’t dared to utter yet. Honestly, he wasn’t quite positive what he was. Just because he found himself attracted to Percy and other guys did that mean he was gay? He still found females quite appealing but he just seemed to prefer males more. What…what did that make him? _A freak_ , his mind helpfully supplied him. Nico cringed at the thought. Seeing as he was from a much earlier decade, he still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that being homosexual in this day and age wasn’t considered such a bad thing; matter of fact, it was more accepted than it had been back in his time. “Nico?”

The boy in question stiffened as he felt Leo’s hand land on his shoulder and he flinched back, waiting for the harsh, demeaning words he knew would come. “Nico, I’m not here to judge you or criticize you; your preferences are none of my business and I don’t mean to pry, I just need answers.”

Nico slowly lifted his eyes from the ground as meet Leo’s gaze which had softened if only slightly. “Yes, I kissed him,” Nico whispered hoarsely, his eyes darting back to the ground.

Leo’s hand slid from his shoulder and Nico was too nervous to look back up into the older teen’s eyes, afraid of what he would see. “Why would you do that?”

Nico had to stop himself from shying away from Leo’s stern tone, not wanting to appear as weak as he was feeling. “You knew he and Piper were together, why would you do that?”

“I-I didn’t do it intentionally,” Nico stuttered, struggling to get his explanation out.

“What, it just happened?”

“No! I…I was under the influence of an Aphrodisiac; I don’t even remember what happened.”

This time Nico did look up, and wasn’t surprised to see a puzzled look on the teen’s elfin features. “Is that just a fancy way to say you were wasted?”

Nico was surprised that he had to stop himself from smiling at that as his hands fidgeted at his sides, his face beginning to heat up with the words he was getting ready to utter. “It-It’s a food, drink, or drug that stimulates sexual desires.”

Leo snorted dubiously at that. “Please don’t tell me you got it from Drew.”

The younger teen paused, wondering if it would be wise to blame the daughter of Aphrodite from Dionysia’s mistake. It _would_ be believable seeing as Drew…was just Drew. Finally he shook his  head. “It doesn’t matter where I got it from. The fact of the matter is I consumed it and nearly…um, _you know_ -ed Jason in the process.”

“No, I don’t know,” Leo stated, his brows scrunched in confusion.

“Then you don’t need to know,” Nico blurted, clasping his trembling hands in his laps.

“So…what you’re saying is that you didn’t kiss Jason on purpose?”

“Exactly.”

Nico watched as Leo transformed back into his normal self, an impish smile spreading across his lips as his light brown eyes brightened. “That’s great! You just need to tell that to Piper!”

Nico snatched his hand back as Leo made a grab for it. “No.”

“No?”

“She probably hates my guts; I’m not going to see her now.”

“Man, you need to! She’s bawling her eyes out over Jason right now.”

“That’s none of my concern,” Nico said coolly, attempting to get a hold over his raging emotions.

“What do you mean it’s none of your concern?! You’re the one who started this!”

“And Jason can finish it. Piper is his problem, not mine.”

“Come on, Nico! Why are you doing this?”

Nico paused, and his mouth closed hesitantly as he began to mull over Leo’s question. Actually, he _didn’t know_ why he was doing this. A part of him knew it was the right thing to do, to go and talk to Piper and smooth things over between her and Jason. It would make Piper happy, but more importantly it would make _Jason_ happy. But…Jason could be happy without her…right? Nico felt another part of him adamantly agree with that. Jason _could_ be happy without Piper, and vice versa. They didn’t need each other…they just thought they did. On the other hand, Nico _did_ need Jason, and he would be able to have the son of Jupiter to himself with his girlfriend now out of the way. Their split was more than convenient to say the least.

Nico felt his lips part slightly in surprise as those rouge thoughts ran through his head without avail. Did…did he really think that; that with Piper now out of the picture he would have Jason all to himself? Why would he _need_ Jason all to himself in the first place? Jason would always be by his side even when he didn’t want him there. _Are you sure of that?_ A voice whispered in his head, tempting him to listen.

 _Yes, I’m positive_ ,he answered confidently, well aware of the fact that he was having an internal conversation with himself.

_The girl was an unnecessary obstacle in your and Jason’s relationship, their breakup was bound to happen sooner or later, so why waste precious time attempting to mend it?_

Nico found himself agreeing with that voice. Piper…she was no more than difficulty in his and Jason’s friendship, now that they were broken up, the blonde hero was bound to be happier without her. But…what if he wasn’t?

 _Make him forget about her. All he needs is you_. That voice again. And once more it was completely right. Jason didn’t need _her_. All the former praetor needed was him. He was enough. More than enough actually.

Nico shook his head free of the thought. What in Hades was he _thinking_? When he looked up, he saw Leo’s mouth running a mile a minute, but he didn’t quite register what it was the son of Hephaestus was saying. _He’ll have to go too_ , the voice hissed possessively. _Jason is ours…no one but ours._

 _That’s not true_ , Nico protested attempting to clear his head.

_But you know it is, he is ours to have; no one else’s. He belongs to us._

“Leo, I’ll talk to her,” Nico snapped, hoping his decision would get that truly insane voice out of his head.

He had to be possessed, meaning he’d probably have to visit the Hecate cabin later today and have some of the campers check him out. That was the only explanation. He _knew_ those weren’t his thoughts running through his mind. He would never think that way. He had no claim over the son of Jupiter whatsoever; after all they were merely friends, and this voice in his head was trying to make him believe they were something more.

The funny thing is he was absolutely _positive_ that this was the same voice that had attempted to lure him into giving up on Percy. He smiled to himself triumphantly. If he would have listened to that delusional little voice in his head, he would never be where he was now with the son of Poseidon. Well…they weren’t on _great_ terms, and his position in Percy’s life was nothing to be proud of, but it was better than where he had been last year, drinking himself silly because his love for the son of the sea god was unrequited. He knew Percy didn’t love him, but he cared immensely for him, and that had to be enough for the time being.

_You fight a losing battle; he will be ours, whether you like it or not._

“Oh shut up,” he growled aloud to the voice, not realizing he had done so until Leo stared at him strangely.

“What did I say?” the young Latino asked defensively, his hands risen in surrender.

“Nothing,” Nico grumbled, getting to his feet as he successfully willed the voice out of his mind for the time being, “Are we going, or not?”

“Of course we are; come ondude!”

Nico rolled his eyes, shuffling after the slightly taller teen who had begun ranting about machines and…did he just a defibrillator? What the hell was that? He didn’t bother asking, positive he didn’t want to hear the young blacksmith begin to ramble on and on about machine vocabulary. He had enough on his mind anyway.

When Nico had all he could take of Leo’s insolent machinery tirade, the Aphrodite cabin came into view, along with the sickeningly sweet smell of perfume wafting out of the cabin. It was a wonder that everyone inside of the lodging was still alive and well even after breathing in those strong fumes. “We’re here,” Nico announced, eager to stop Leo from continuing on about the mechanics of Festus before he was merely a head on the Argo II.

“Oh! Well that was fast.”

“No nearly fast enough,” Nico grouched, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, can we just get this over with?”

Leo nodded the affirmative and forged ahead. The Latino took an audible deep breath before he knocked, the rapping sound soft yet firm. The door swung open abruptly, and Leo stumbled back in surprise as he was met head on with a glare. “Oh, it’s just you.”

The young girl before them had wavy blonde hair that was pulled into to high pigtails where the ends were then twirled into graceful curls and the look was topped off with hot pink bows. Though she was young—she looked to be about eleven or twelve—Nico knew she would be a looker when she was older. After all, didn’t all children Aphrodite turn out that way? “Practicing your battle glare, Lacy?” Leo teased, causing the girl, now identified as Lacy, to blush.

She smiled shyly revealing a set of braces that added to her adorable looks. “You’re so silly,” Lacy retorted sheepishly, twirling a pigtail around her finger.

“So I’ve been told.”

Leo winked exaggeratedly, and Nico swore the girl look ready to pass out. She…she didn’t _like_ Leo did she? Nico watched the two interact and he came to the conclusion that yes, she did in fact like Leo. Nico tried to hold back a snort of laughter, but he knew he failed miserably when the duo fell silent and turned to look at him. “Sorry,” he muttered, forcing out a cough, “I had something stuck in my throat.”

“Sure you did, Bones. Sure you did,” Leo snorted amusedly then turned back to Lacy who was currently studying the raven haired teen closely.

“How’s Beauty Queen?”

Lacy jumped at the question, then turned hard eyes on both boys. “What, did _Jason_ send you?”

She spat out Jason’s name with so much vitriol that Nico nearly took a startled step back. That was new; everyone _loved_ Jason as far as he knew. “No, actually he didn’t. Ghost King over here has a few words he’d like to say to Pipes.”

Nico gave a slight nod when Lacy glanced back over at him. “I’ll go get her.”

This time Nico did jump when the door was slammed shut in their faces, and he could hear Lacy’s soft voice from outside of the cabin, but he wasn’t quite sure of what she was saying. Leo cleared his throat awkwardly. “Lacy’s not bad, she just—.”

“She likes you.”

Leo paused, his head tilting to the side slightly. “’Course she likes me. I like her too; she’s actually nice company despite—.”

“No, I mean she like, likes you,” Nico glanced at Leo disinterestedly, then back at the door to the cabin.

“ _What_?! B-But she’s…how would you know?”

“How _wouldn’t_ you know?” Nico watched Leo with reluctant amusement as the son of Hephaestus ran his fidgety hands through his hair.

“D-Don’t you look at me like that!” Leo snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Nico.

Nico snorted softly, but continued to watch Leo with growing interest. “Oh…oh no. If Calypso finds out…I’m done for! Do you know how _difficult_ it is to have a goddess for a girlfriend?! No, no, you don’t.  Oh, and she’s not _just_ a goddess; she’s an irrationally jealous goddess! Those two things should never mix. S-She’d probably fry Lacy if she found out. Then we’d lose all the progress we made in getting her off of Ogygia!”

“And why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’re the one who told me that she liked me in the first place!”

“Who likes you?” a hoarse voice questioned curiously.

Both teens turned to stare at Piper who was currently the closest thing a daughter of Aphrodite could get to being a mess. Her hair was falling into her eyes in wispy strands that just flopped back down even after she pushed them away. Her eyes were tinged red and tear swollen; the evidence that she had in fact been shedding tears was on her face. Despite all of this, she was still beautiful, even when she forced a tight smile on her face. “Nobody,” Leo said carefully, his fidgety hands stilling for a moment as he motioned to Nico. “He came to talk to you.”

It seemed as if Piper hadn’t even noticed his presence before and honestly, he would have preferred it to be that way. Her voice was devoid of any emotion, but her eyes screamed betrayal and reluctant disdain when she looked at him. “Nico.”

“Hey,” he mumbled, toeing the dirt beneath his feet.

“How can I help you?”

“I, uh…I just wanted to talk to you.”

“So talk.”

Nico had to stop himself from flinching at her harsh tone. _Let her be! She does not deserve an explanation!_ The voice in his head was raging, and squeezed his eyes shut to block it out for a few moments. “I’d rather do it in private.”

“Then let’s go,” Piper snapped, surprising both demigods with her willingness.

The daughter of Aphrodite pushed past both boys and stalked off in the direction of the arena. Nico swallowed past the lump in his throat with obvious difficulty. Oh gods, he hoped she wouldn’t try and kill him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the real plot ensues. [;  
> Just you wait...


	8. The Sacred Love Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why did he feel so bitter about what he was doing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so please don't hate me. *smiles nervously*  
> I took waaaaaaay, longer than I expected on this chapter.  
> Like, a month longer.  
> I have rewritten this chapter a little over three times, and this final time, I was finally pleased with the results.  
> To apologize for my tardiness, I made it much longer than usual (16K + word count) to make up for the long wait, which actually made it longer, my apologies.  
> But it's here now! So whoop whoop.  
> Just to let you all know, no matter what happened (or happens) in the Blood of Olympus, my story will not change, meaning I do not plan on changing up the plot or the pairings to agree more with the occurrences in the new book.  
> So yeah.  
> Thank you guys for waiting patiently, or not so patiently, for the update. Thanks for all the comments and kudos and even for simply reading the story.  
> Anyway, as usual, suggestions are appreciated, praise for the story is loved, criticism (though it may break my little heart) is welcome.  
> Enjoy. [;  
> (Oh yes, I almost forgot; there IS smut in this chapter. You have been warned.)

** Nico’s POV **

Nico couldn’t stop his heart from beating wildly as he settled down awkwardly on the seats of the arena, absently noting as Piper did the same a considerable distance away from him. What in Zeus’s name did he get himself into?

Piper brushed her dark, choppy locks out of her eyes as she glanced over at the raven haired demigod, her gaze uncomfortably blank. Why, out of all times did he choose to be a good person now? He didn’t need to be here, explaining himself to a girl who was quite irrelevant to his life. His and Piper’s relationship didn’t exceed being comrades during the Titan War, so why was he here, acting as if he gave a shit whether she was happy or not? _Stop it_ , he chastised himself, wincing at his own brutal thoughts.

He was doing this for Jason; period, point blank. Not for Piper, or Leo, or even to clear his own name, this was being done solely for the son of Jupiter. How hard could it be anyway? All he had to do was tell her the truth and Jason was in the clear, and they could be Camp Half-Blood’s second favorite couple again. Whoopee.

So why did he feel so bitter about what he was doing?

He knew it was the right thing to do seeing as both older teens were so ridiculously crestfallen over the breakup, and obviously one should feel a little bit of pity about that…right?

Wrong. Strangely, Nico only felt remorse for making _Jason_ go through this, but Piper? Bah, who cared?

 _And this is why I think I’m possessed_ , Nico thought bitterly to himself, he knew that he would never think such malicious thoughts on his own; he had to be possessed, it was the only explanation. The son of Hades absently scanned his surroundings as he thought, looking for the easiest possible way to escape. _If I try running out of the arena, she’ll be on me in seconds_.

Nico worried his lower lip between his teeth pensively as he thought of alternative options. _I could just shadow travel…_

Sure, the sun was setting, and there were plenty of shadows around, but he would still be tired out from the seemingly simple exertion of energy. Now, the ideal time to shadow travel would be at moonrise, when the shadows were at their best. Yes, if things turned out badly by then, he would just—.

“Run,” Piper stated languidly, yet surely.

The son of Hades snapped out of his reverie and looked to the girl beside him, his brows rising warily. “Huh?”

“You’re planning on running.”

The younger hero had to stop his jaw from slackening at her eerie accuracy, but he successfully prepared himself for a response, lies already forming on the tip of his tongue. “No I wasn’t—.”

“Don’t lie to me.” To Nico’s surprise, Piper’s voice held no vitriol whatsoever.

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes you are. I could see it in your eyes, Nico. You were planning on escaping.”

Nico brows furrowed, and he unconsciously huffed as he straightened himself in his spot. “No need to pout,” Piper pointed out, sounding almost exactly like the son of Jupiter.

“I’m not pouting.”

“Oh, excuse me. I must be mistaken; so when your brows are scrunched, arms crossed, and your lower lip is poking out, what would you call that?”

Nico opened his mouth, ready to protest against his supposedly folded arms until he looked down, seeing that they were, in fact, crossed firmly and pressed against his chest. “Whatever,” the young demigod growled out, dropping his arms down to his sides petulantly.

“Hmm,” Piper hummed in agreement, her unsettling eyes shifting to elsewhere in the arena.

Well, there was no better time than now. He might as well get it over with. But how would he start? Apologizes were most definitely _not_ his forte, and he wasn’t particularly keen on pouring his heart out to a girl he barely knew. So, he decided to go with common clichés. “Uh, Piper?”

The teen in questioned turned back towards him, her face still unusually blank. “Mhm?”

“I just wanted to let you know, I’m sorry, _so_ sorry, if I ruined your relationship with Jason. It was never my intention and I sincerely apologize,” Nico paused, wracking his brain for more seemingly heartfelt ideas. “From the bottom of my heart,” he added after a moment of thought.

 _Nailed it_ , Nico had to stop himself from grinning cheekily at that. That had to be his best apology by far, and he had even put some emotion into it…at least he thought he did. “That’s all you’ve got?” Piper asked dubiously, startling Nico with the subtle tone of anger in her voice.

“…I’m not exactly sure if that was a rhetorical question.” Nico lowered his gaze as he began nervously fiddling with his fingers. Damn, he had been sure he was in the clear, but now…? Not so much.

“You’re more full of it than I originally thought,” Piper snorted, her hands balling into to fists on the seats of the arena.

Oh shit, she was going to hit him, he just _knew_ it. He could feel it in his bones, and see it from the way she was tensing, finally beginning to lose her cool. Nico made to stand, having already found a perfect patch of shadows to use. He froze as he felt a warm hand wrap firmly around his wrist, stilling his movements completely. “And where do you think you’re going?” the daughter of Aphrodite asked innocently, though her eyes were glinting with unknown emotions.

“I, um…I just had to—.”

“But we’re not done talking yet. Relax, Nico; I don’t bite.”

 _But she hits!_ That annoying voice warned him anxiously. Yeah, he was most _definitely_ going to the Hecate cabin after this, no doubts about that. But before he began fretting over that, he had a more pressing matter on his hands; whether or not he would be sporting another bloody nose anytime soon.

That probably wouldn’t make Jason happy. Wait, why should he care what made the son of Jupiter upset? Jason’s emotions were his own problem, in fact, the blonde was the whole reason he was in this mess. If Jason wouldn’t have caused that argument (which, he _did_ in fact start as far as he was concerned), he would have never been upset, meaning Dionysia wouldn’t have stopped by and pushed him to drink in the first place.

Yes, this was _all_ Jason’s fault. And Dionysia’s too.

Deep down he knew it was wrong to pin all of the blame onto the goddess and blonde demigod, but who listened to their voice of reason anymore? Obviously he didn’t, seeing as he was in the situation he was now, but that didn’t matter. All he cared about was getting out of his current predicament, Jason or no Jason he’d be all right.

 _Liar_ , he—no not _he_ , he reminded himself, because he would never think such strange thoughts on his own. The voice, it was that damned annoying voice he couldn’t get out of his head for more than a minute at a time that he was positive would drive him insane in the next hour.

He knew for a fact that it was his own fault he was in this situation. _He_ had been the one willing to drink with an unknown goddess, accepted every single one of her drinks without a question to what they were. Hell, he didn’t even have a _right_ to blame Dionysia; she was a daughter of Dionysus, she did exactly what was expected of her. And Jason…? Well, he probably would have ended up sulking about Percy anyway with, or without the argument anyway. He couldn’t blame Jason for his troubles. _And troubles I most definitely have_ , Nico thought scornfully.

In the meanwhile, Piper made a sound that was something relative to a chuckle without even an ounce of humor. Carefully, Nico shook his wrist from Piper’s tight grip, determined not to be intimidated by the girl before him. “What do you want, Piper? I’ve already apologized—.”

“Yes, and what an _amazing_ apology it was,” Piper drawled out wryly, “You know as well as I do that you didn’t mean a word of that. Did you?”

At that question, Nico found he was hesitant to answer. He actually _did_ mean some of the apology; he was sorry that he had ruined Piper’s relationship. She didn’t deserve to be without Jason. Quickly, Nico shut down that stupid little voice as soon as he felt it ready to comment on that. Yes, he was troubled indeed.

“I…I’m not sure…”

“You’re not sure…?” Piper asked skeptically, her brows arching unsurely.

“…Yeah.”

After a few moments of tense and quite awkward silence, Piper stood, brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear tersely. “While I quite enjoyed this talk with you, it’s getting nowhere. So I’ll be on my way—.”

“Jason really cares about you,” Nico blurted out before he could stop himself.

The made Piper freeze, and after a few seconds of her shaky breathing, she shook her head back and forth slowly. “If Jason sent you—.”

“He didn’t. He doesn’t even know I’m doing this.”

Nico could tell that had surprised the daughter of Aphrodite, and for the first time since he had stood in front of her cabin about twenty-five minutes prior, she looked him in the eyes, and he was finally able to read her. Like, _really_ read her; like a book.” “Really?” Piper asked softly, all previous animosity nearly lost.

Nico nodded slowly, shifting his gaze away from her green, now blue, now a warm brown, eyes. “He…um, he’s really torn up over all of this.”

Nico felt more than saw Piper settle herself back down beside him, her posture more lax this time around. The son of Hades glanced in her direction, watching as she chewed deftly on her lower lip, her inner turmoil quite obvious. For nearly ten seconds, Piper opened and shut her mouth, not making one sound until she finally got out her statement. “He shouldn’t be,” Piper looked away, and Nico could tell she was trying to force her expression blank once again. “He…this is what he did to himself. It doesn’t matter anyway, he can—can find someone else—.”

“He nearly had a panic attack over losing you,” Nico pointed out brusquely, making Piper’s eyes widen in shock. “You still think he should find someone else?”

“Oh…oh gods. Is he okay?” Piper asked frantically, picking at the hems of her shorts nervously.

“He’s fine. But Piper, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

Piper’s eyes hardened slightly as her fingers stilled. “He kissed you. You don’t think there’s anything wrong with that?”

“He didn’t kiss me.”

Oh damn, this would be the hard part. Why in Hades did he have to be such a prude at times? He was nearly as bad as Hazel was. “I, um. I kissed him.”

Piper didn’t even flinch at his confession, instead, she waited silently, sensing that wasn’t the end of his statement. “I didn’t _mean_ to. I was…under the influence of an Aphrodisiac—.”

“An Aphrodisiac?!” Piper cut in, her voice filled with uncontained alarm.

“Yeah, it’s a—.”

“I know what it is. _All_ children of Aphrodite know what it is. And we’re warned against seeking it out or even taking a whiff of it…and you _had_ some?!”

Nico began to feel apprehensive at Piper’s tone; she sounded as if she was talking about the dangers of dropping Greek fire. “Um, you’re scaring me a little bit.”

Piper squeezed her eyes shut momentarily and shook her head feverishly. “Sorry,” she said, sounding legitimately apologetic to Nico’s surprise. “It’s just…Aphrodisiacs are really powerful substances, Nico. On mortals and immortals, they have little to no effect, but on us demigods…we’re like animals in _heat_. Foods or drinks, or even drugs that are known as Aphrodisiacs have minute amounts of the substance that makes them the way they are in them.”

She smiled brightly, looking honestly relieved as she continued. “I’m just glad you didn’t consume the _to ieró krasí agápi̱_.”

Nico watched as she kneeled down to write out the figures in the sandy colored dirt of the arena with her forefinger; **το ιερό κρασί αγάπη**. “’The Sacred Love Wine?” he inquired as he studied the figures written in the dirt closely.

Piper nodded when he looked back at her, relief still written all over her beautiful features as she straightened herself. “It’s the worst of the Aphrodisiacs by far, due to the fact that it is the substance contained in lesser, ah, _stimulators_. What I mean is…it’s the mother of all Aphrodisiacs, matter of fact, it was the first ever created with such strong effects. This is the drink you can blame for the production and births of so many demigods. It affects its users for _at least_ three to four days, and of course, just our luck, it affects demigods for even longer.”

“How much is ‘even longer’?”

The daughter of Aphrodite shrugged, swaying her head from side-to-side in her indecision. “About a week, maybe even longer depending upon how much the person consumed,” once again a million dollar smile of reprieve lit up Piper’s features, “But you don’t have to worry about that, you can only obtain it from a god or goddess. Usually only Aphrodite, seeing as it _is_ her favorite drink, or D—.”

“Dionysus. _Fuck_ ,” Nico groaned dropping his head into his hands as a surge of panic nearly overtook him.

“What’s wrong?” Piper asked innocently, attempting to pry his hands from his face. “I told you that you have nothing to worry about unless you…you _didn’t_ …did you?”

“I did,” Nico whispered sheepishly, wincing as Piper jumped away.

“Oh…oh _shit_.”

“Not just any shit, _deep_ shit,” Nico muttered solemnly from between his fingers.

“How…how in Hera’s name did you even get a _hold_ of it, Nico?!” Piper gasped suddenly, causing the son of Hades to lift his head from his hands hastily.

“What? What’s the matter?”

“My mother visited you, didn’t she?” Piper growled darkly, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

Before Nico could get out a word, Piper stood and began storming towards the exit of the arena. “Wait…where are you going?” Nico jumped up, nearly having to jog to keep up with Piper’s quick pace.

“I’m going to summon my mother; she’s going to fix this whether she likes it or not.”

Nico came to a complete stop. He didn’t like that idea, not one bit. This was _Aphrodite_ , mother of the god who still tormented him in his sleep, Cupid. If he thought Cupid was bad, what Aphrodite would or _could_ do had to be much worse. “Um…P-Piper,” he stuttered causing the girl before him to pause, “Maybe we should t-think this through.”

Piper’s eyes softened with worry. “Nico, are you okay? You look… _extremely_ pale.”

No, he was not okay. He currently felt as if he was about to vomit. Aphrodite could do _anything_ to him, and from what he had heard, she absolutely _loved_ to tease (or torment as far as he was concerned) demigods even more than she did mortals. If she wanted to, she could make him fall in love with a tree, or even out his secret about Percy. He did not want to risk that. “It wasn’t Aphrodite.”

Piper rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips in a dubious gesture. “You don’t have to lie for her—.”

“I’m not lying, it wasn’t her.”

“Then who was it? Mr. D?” she asked sarcastically.

“I’m not allowed to say,” murmured, dropping his eyes to the ground.

“What…? How come?”

“I promised.”

Piper groaned sadly, “Nico, what on Olympus have you gotten yourself into?”

“Just tell me how to fix it,” Nico snapped, his eyes clenching shut as he tried to control his roiling stomach.

“The only person who can undo its effects if Aphrodite herself, and I’m almost positive she won’t be willing to fix it; she’ll probably believe it’s ‘fate’. Piper sighed softly as she fiddled with a loose strand of hair. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Jason fixed it before, he can do it again.”

“Fixed it…?” Piper asked curiously before recognition flared in her eyes. “I meant to ask you that. The only way to stop from going into sexual heats is engaging in sexual activities. It’s the only way to counteract the drink’s abilities.”

The Native American girl paused, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. “And you say _Jason_ , fixed it before?”

Nico, currently only focused on fixing himself missed out on the important portion of what she was saying. “Yeah, Jason fixed it.”

Piper tensed, her stance locking up once more. “You two had sex, didn’t you?”

Nico choked, _that_ word flinging him out of his thoughts. “ _Excuse me?!_ ”

“You heard me. The only way to counteract the drink’s abilities is through sexual activities. So I’ll ask you again, did you and Jason have sex?”

To say Nico was beyond mortified was an understatement. He was past the point of mortification and was now making his way to humiliation. Why was it that everyone always assumed he and Jason had a thing going on? They were _just_ friends. The most touching they had ever done was the occasional comforting hug and the simple kiss Jason had pressed to his forehead days ago. Nothing more, everything less.

So why were people making assumptions all of a sudden?

“Jason and I did not have—,” Nico did his typical awkward hand gestures, his face heating up more and more the whole way through.

Piper studied him carefully for a few silent moments, then nodded, her eyes softening once more. “Good, because if he gave you his virginity, I’d be—.”

Nico  stumbled, and his eyes widened to a nearly comical point. “His _what_?”

Piper tilted her head to the side slightly, then cursed as she recounted her words. “Nothing, just forget I said a—.”

“Jason’s a _virgin_?!”

“Nico—.”

“Are we talking about the same Jason here? Are you talking Jason, like Jason with the Golden Fleece, Jason?” Nico shook his head wildly at that, “No, he wasn’t a virgin, he had kids—.”

“Nico.”

“But _Jason Grace_ , a…a _virgin_? You’re crazy. Do you know another Jason or—.”

“Nico!” Piper cut in loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose exasperatedly, “Gods, I never knew you had so much… _personality_.”

Nico couldn’t stop the blush from spreading across his cheek though he shrugged with forced nonchalance. “We’ve never really talked until now.”

Piper looked ready to protest, then she paused, apparently thinking over her words. “Yeah…I-I guess we haven’t,” after a moment of quiet she smiled tenderly. “You’re not so bad di Angelo.”

Much to his own surprise, the son of Hades had to stop himself from grinning like an idiot at her words, yet he still look cool and detached on the outside. “I could say the same for you.”

The daughter of Aphrodite watched him carefully for a moment before she took a step forward, and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. Nico flinched back, and Piper’s hand dropped back down to her side dejectedly. “I-I…don’t like being touched,” Nico muttered, shifting nervously.

“But you let…oh never mind. Just…I don’t hate you, Nico, okay?”

Well, that was a surprise. He would hate himself if he were in her position. “I just hate that you had everything from Jason I’d ever wanted.”

“And I…I really am sorry. I mean it, I didn’t mean to ruin your relationship,” Nico fixed his eyes on the ground as he anxiously awaited her response.

“I don’t blame you, okay? I blame whoever gave you the Aphrodisiac, and Ja—.” Piper paused, realizing she had said too much, “There’s a part of me that doesn’t care for you very much, but—.”

“You blame Jason?” Nico cut in, his dark brows rising in surprise as he disregarded the rest of Piper’s sentence.

“Someone’s got their priorities straight,” she snorted sarcastically, “But yeah, he was the one who didn’t stop—wait. He didn’t _tell_ you?”

Nico began chewing on the inside of his cheek as he shook his head slowly. “He just kept blaming himself for everything.”

Piper went silent at that, and Nico gave her time to get lost in her thoughts. Piper—she was alright. He had secretly suspected she was like almost every daughter of Aphrodite he had met; self centered, manipulative, and bratty. But she was none of those things and he liked that, he could see why Jason did too.

“Never mind that okay? We just need to worry about fixing—.”

“But what about Jason?”

“What about him?” Piper questioned in the same soft tone she had used previously.

“I mean, aren’t you going to take him back?”

Piper shook her head after another pause and averted gaze. Nico’s jaw slackened. “N-No?!”

“Nico, it’s not a big deal—.”

“Yes it is! He was breaking down over you, Pipe—.”

“And I was doing the same over him,” Piper pointed out sharply, her eyes full and sure even as they glinted with unshed tears. “Do you know what I thought he was going to say to me when he hit me with the confession?”

Piper didn’t give him time to answer. “I thought he would _finally_ say ‘I love you’.”

Her voice cracked on the words and she cleared her throat loudly. “I’ve been waiting for him to love me back…I don’t think I can wait any longer. And what he did just clarifies everything. So excuse me for not jumping at the notion of taking him back so quickly; it’s not exactly fun being the only one in love in a relationship,” Piper turned away as a tear trailed down her face, and Nico waited patiently as she wiped her eyes furiously.

That,—the whole only one loving thing—that he could relate to. It hurt, more than anyone could ever begin to understand, and if Piper felt anything akin to what he felt whenever he saw Percy and Annabeth together while he and Jason were together, he truly was sorry. He would never wish that kind of pain on his worst enemy surprising as that may be. Heartache, was the worst kind of hurt a person could feel. There was no cure for it; no pills or syrups you could take. And you were stuck with it forever, or as long as you let it affect you. To make a long story short, heartache sucked. And he felt terrible that Piper was going through it, just as he was.

“Okay, I’m dropping it,” Nico stated quietly, watching as Piper gradually began to relax once more.

When she turned back around, she had a forced smile fixed on her lips that didn’t quite reach her red-tinged, expressive eyes. “Now that that’s over and done with, let’s get you cured.”

Nico nodded, happy to let the subject of Jason go if it made Piper pleasant once more. “What do we have to do?”

Piper snorted softly. “ _You_ either have to engage in sexual activities with someone, or you can ask Jason to do whatever he did again.”

Nico felt the tip of his ears burning. “I, uh. I guess the former is out—.”

“Why?” Piper asked, genuinely curious.

“What do you mean ‘why’?”

“Why won’t you engage in sexual activities with someone?”

“Because I have no one to do it—.”

“Liar,” Piper coughed, attempting to “subtly” cover up the word.

Nico froze, and his heart doubled its pace. “W-What?”

Oh _gods_ , did she know about him and Percy? There…there was no way. “I know for a fact that you’re having sex with someone here at camp,” Piper scoffed when she looked at him. “Oh don’t give me that look. It doesn’t take a child of Aphrodite to see you walking around with that after-sex glow. Oh, and the hickies do help with the inference too.”

She could see his _hickies_?! Nico groaned softly, looking anywhere but at Piper. “Why don’t you just ask that person to—?”

“No,” he stated as calmly as possible.

“How come?”

“Because I said so. End of story.”

Piper watched him carefully before nodding slowly, “Okay, not sexual activities then. I guess Jason’s your only option.”

“Seems so.”

 

~*~

A few moments after leaving the arena, Nico was standing before the Hecate cabin, using all of his self control to root himself to that very spot. He had to do this—he _needed_ to do it. He refused to go about his days with a disembodied voice whispering silly temptations throughout his mind, confusing him, and ultimately making him question most of everything he knew. Honestly, what he really needed was a child of Mania—the goddess of mental illnesses—, or even the goddess herself. But from what he had learned, she was a fickle Underworld creature that usually didn’t make herself shown unless she wanted to be found, nor did she usually engage with mortals, so demigod children of Mania were quite sparse. And Nico didn’t quite have the time to roam around the Underworld in search for the goddess when he could get the next best thing: a child of Hecate.

Nico stepped up to the door and knocked on the wood of the door firmly. A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing an average sized girl with dirty blonde hair and a sleek bob that complimented her rebellious features and the black tattoo that wound its way around her wrist and forearm, stopping just on the back of her hand. All in all she was quite pretty, and she was just the person he needed to see.

“Ava,” he greeted, nodding politely.

The blonde brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear as the corners of her lips lifted in a cynical smile. “di Angelo, what brings you to my little neck of the woods?”

He had known Ava for a few months; in fact, he was part of the reason she had made it to Camp Half-Blood safely in the first place. He had… _encountered_ her a few months prior to her arrival at the camp wandering around the streets of Chicago, after he had ended up there on one of his warped shadow travelling trips.

In the few months she had been at the camp, she had become senior counselor of the quite unorganized cabin. Nico had wholeheartedly agreed with her cabin mates, and siblings’ decision seeing as she was quite a force to be reckoned with.

That being said, he was absolutely positive she would be able to get whatever being was inside of him out. “I think I’m possessed.”

Ava blinked slowly, the action betraying her surprise though she outwardly remained cool and composed. “You think…you’re possessed?” she asked slowly, as if making sure he was certain of the words that had come out of his mouth.

“Yes.”

Ava raised a brow, her eerie, deep purple eyes twinkling with amusement. “And why, pray tell, do you believe this?”

Ah, this would be the awkward part, actually getting it out. While he and Ava weren’t close friends, he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t go spreading his strange assumptions around to her siblings and the rest of the campers. With that being said, he decided to take a leap of faith. “I…this is going to seem really strange,” he mumbled, but Ava cut him off before he could finish.

“We’re demigods, Nico. Our own _existence_ is strange. Along with that, I’m a daughter of Hecate—the goddess of magic. Things don’t really tend to get stranger than that.”

Nico nearly rolled his eyes. While she was completely correct, Ava had a tendency to be quite…sarcastic in even the most dire situations. No wonder the Stoll brothers had taken a liking to her. “Anyway, I keep hearing this strange voice in my head—.”

“What does the voice say? The blonde asked innocently enough, but the amusement twinkling in her eyes betrayed her true emotions.

Great, she wasn’t even taking him seriously. “Nothing. Never mind.”

Nico turned curtly on his heel, his shoulders hunched in frustration as he began making his way down the path. “Oh, come back here, Nico. I’m only teasing; don’t be so sensitive.”

Nico glanced over his shoulder to see Ava still standing in the doorway, her hand propped on her hip in a very mother like fashion. The son of Hades paused before he slowly began turning back around to continue down the path. The older blonde girl sighed in frustration. “If you want something done, do it yourself,” she grumbled as she pointed at Nico’s feet.

Before he knew it, he walking back to the front door of the cabin, and Ava stepped aside to let him in. When the magic—and it was in fact magic—wore off, Nico threw a glare at the daughter of Hecate who was smiling proudly. “Hm, I didn’t actually expect that to work; the last time I tried it, I sent someone flying off into the lake.”

“You did _what_?” Nico asked incredulously.

“Never mind now, at least it worked this time around. It wouldn’t make me happy to see you with your head split open ya know.”

“No, I don’t know,” Nico grumbled, shuffling forward and plopping down onto a stool Ava had motioned to.

“Whatever,” the blonde muttered, turning to a large table filled with many items Nico could not even begin to name.

She began shifting around the strange items until she evidently found what she had been looking for. “What’s that?” Nico inquired, leaning forward to get a better look until Ava sent him an irritated look over her shoulder briefly.

“A book,” she murmured absently as she flipped through the pages of the old, mystic looking book.

“No, you don’t say,” Nico said dryly.

“Let’s see…possession…possession…ah, here it is!” Ava tapped on the old page of the book, “Now I just need to find the correct spell…”

After a few moments of silence, Ava slammed her hand down on the page of the book, particles of dust flying up from the page at the action. “Found it!” she exclaimed, smiling triumphantly.

“What’s ‘it’ exactly?” Nico asked warily.

“Magicians never reveal their secrets,” Ava pointed out mystically, sending him a mischievous wink. “Now, you just sit still and let me work my magic.”

“But—.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you;” Ava shot him a bland look, “Shut up.”

Nico’s lips shut, but internally he was grumbling to himself, and he was sure Ava knew it too. She moved the giant book over to the area closest to him with surprising ease, then placed her fingertips on his temples while her eyes were still fixed on the pages of the book. “No fidgeting, and no noises,” the blonde muttered, her uncanny purple eyes distant, as if seeming to be staring into an unknown distance.

The son of Hades nearly nodded, but caught himself as the blonde began murmuring words; some of which he recognized as Ancient Greek. Her fingers that were barely pressed against his skin began to get uncomfortably warm, and squirmed against her hold. Warningly, her fingers pressed more firmly into his skin, and from the corner of his eye he could see a faint green glowing. Was that…coming from her fingers?

The thought made his struggling double until Ava said an unfamiliar word loudly, and pointedly, her purple eyes settling on his own deep brown ones, her gaze admonishing though she was still speaking the strange words. After a few more minutes of this, Ava grew silent, and the glow of her fingers and the warmth that originated from them dimmed until he felt nothing more than her fingers against his temple. “So?” he asked softly, nervous of what Ava would say.

Ava removed her fingers from his temples, and closed the book with a soft thud before she made her way over to one of many bunks in the cabin and lazily flopped down on the one he could only guess was her own. “You,” she paused, casting him a bored glance before she rolled onto her back, “Are one of the worst people I have ever worked magic on.”

Nico made a sound of irritation in the back of his throat, his brows drawing together in frustration. “That not what I meant.”

Ava snorted softly, then rolled onto her stomach, effectively ignoring his presence for the time being. “Ava.”

Still, nothing. “Ava.”

A soft snore. “ _Ava_.”

“For Hecate’s sake, you’re _fine_ , Nico,” Ava grumbled irritably into her pillow, her dusty blonde hair splayed around her messily.

Just as he suspected, he was pos—wait, _what_? “What do you mean, ‘I’m fine’?” he asked hesitantly.

“You’re not possessed. Sorry to tell you, but the only voice you’re hearing in your head is your own.”

No…that wasn’t right. “Do it again, I think you messed—.”

“If you finish that sentence the only magic you’ll be getting from me is a spell to cut your dick off,” Ava growled, lifting her head from her pillow dangerously.

Nico swallowed with little difficulty. He had forgotten how defensive children of Hecate were over their magic skills. “Can you just…try again?”

“No, the results will be the same. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a nap to take,” and with that, Ava’s head dropped back down to her pillow, her blonde locks flying around her with the movement.

Nico turned to the great table positioned against the wall of the cabin, and barely restrained himself from sweeping all of the contents off in his frustration. Angrily, he stood from the stool, nearly knocking it over in the process as he walked briskly to the exit of the cabin. “And Nico…?”

The boy in question paused stiffly, his hand clenching the doorknob tensely as he looked at the blonde teen over his shoulder. “I won’t try another possession spell on you,” Ava paused innocently, though her eyes twinkled with barely contained mirth, “But if you want me to try a spell to remove the stick from your ass, I’d be more than happy to try—.”

Nico cut her off with a barely constrained sound of fury, yanking the door open and slamming it closed as he walked out, shutting out the sounds of Ava’s cynical laughter. She had no idea what she was talking about, he was sure of that. She…she had to be pulling his leg…yeah, that was it.

Nico was so deep in his thoughts he didn’t even notice where his feet were carrying him to until he looked up and found himself at a familiar cabin, dusky blue cabin. “Shit,” he muttered, his fists clenching in his jean pockets.

Of course he would end up at Percy’s cabin of all places; the gods just couldn’t give him a break. As he began turning, he heard the telltale sign of a door opening, and froze as he heard his name being called. “Nico?”

 _Dammit_. Nico turned slowly, and lifted a hand in an awkward greeting. “Hey.”

Percy’s eye seemed to have gotten better over the few hours since Nico had last seen him and the younger teen guessed the son of Poseidon had taken a dip in the lake. “Did you need me…?” Percy asked hesitantly, his sea green eyes soft and curious as he opened the door wider, leaning against the frame casually, as he crossed his arms over his chest, drawing Nico’s attention to the generous muscles adorning each bicep.

“Ah, no. I was just kinda, um, wandering,” Nico stuttered out as he ripped his gaze away from those alluring arms. He had more pressing matters to be worried about, such as when his next… _heat_ would come about and who would be in his vicinity when it happened. Along with that, he still had the stressing matter of the voice in his head that Ava had claimed to be his own. He _really_ did not have time to be distracted by those tan, strong…muscled…smooth… _Arms_ , he reminded himself, _Just arms_.

“I see,” Percy said slowly, a tinge of disappointment in his voice that caused Nico to worry his lower lip between his teeth.

Nico kicked at the ground, sending patches of dirt up into the air. “Yeah, well…I’ll just be on my way—.”

“You can come in if you’d like,” Percy ran a hand through his thick, dark locks nervously as he too worried his lower lip between his teeth.

Nico paused at that. Percy had seemed keen on ignoring him earlier in the day and now he wanted him to hang out? The son of Hades glanced up from the ground hesitantly as he mulled over his thoughts. He wasn’t really sure if going in would be a good decision, both for his and Percy’s sake. If Jason found out, Percy could end up sporting another black eye, while Nico would be sent deeper into his irritating turmoil of emotions. “I don’t know…” he finally forced out, although all he wanted to say was yes.

“I have ice cream,” Percy smiled crookedly, letting the offer hang in the air a moment before he added another temptation to the first. “And Halo…”

Nico perked up at that. Dammit, of course Percy would now his current favorite game. “Reach…?” he questioned uncertainly, already making his way to the door of the cabin.

“Of course.” A wide smile broke out across Percy’s face as Nico slid past him and into the considerably spacious cabin, immediately spotting the various tubs of ice cream on the ground.

“How’d you get all of this?” Nico asked curiously as he scooped up a tub of cookies ‘n cream ice cream, eagerly tearing off the top to get to the contents inside.

“I have my ways,” Percy winked in mock mysteriousness as he handed Nico a spoon, then leaned down, scooping up his own tub of ice cream.

“Superman?” Nico asked, amusement evident in his tone.

Percy shrugged as he nimbly settled himself onto the floor. “It has blue colored ice cream, I couldn’t resist.”

The corners of Nico’s lips quirked up into a small, genuine smile as he carefully lowered himself to the floor, ice cream in hand. “That would be perfect for…” he paused, finishing the sentence in his head. _Jason, it would be perfect for Jason._

He attempted to push the thought aside as Percy began rambling about his trip home over the spring. Nico tried to listen, he really did, especially with the way Percy’s sea green eyes were twinkling with delight, his lips moving quickly with words Nico didn’t care to hear at the moment. He was just a little too preoccupied with the taste of ice cream on his tongue and thoughts of a certain blonde Roman.

Gods, how was it that he found Jason on his mind constantly, everyday. He needed to draw back, get space from the son of Jupiter so that he could get his thoughts together for a while. Besides, it would be for the best. He didn’t want to tarnish Jason’s reputation with the invalid rumors flying around about a secret relationship between the two, undoubtedly started by Drew.

“Nico…?”

The son of Hades paused, his spoon perched between his lips as he turned, looking over at the son of Poseidon obliviously. “Hm?”

“Were you even listening to me?” Percy asked distractedly as his eyes trailed over the sight of Nico sucking his spoon clean.

Upon the realization that he was being watched, Nico pulled the spoon from his mouth abruptly, a light blush dusting over his cheeks at the attention. He most definitely did _not_ need to complicate his life more by having unintentional… _sex_ with Percy. It would just make things so much more difficult and add another weight to his already burdened shoulders. “I’ll only be here for an hour, tops,” Nico declared awkwardly, ignoring Percy’s initial question as he pressed his spoon back into the creamy, frozen treat.

“Only an hour?” Percy frowned—more like _pouted_ —as he lifted a spoonful of colorful ice cream to his lips.

“Yeah…I have things I have to do.”

Percy nodded in understanding, brushing his shaggy locks of hair from his face and dragging Nico’s attention to the fading bruise around his eye. “Are you okay?” Nico asked softly, subtly leaning in to get a better look at the skin.

“What do you mean?”

“Your eye.”

Percy visibly tensed, dropping his spoon into the container almost angrily. “I’m fine.”

“I just wanted to…apologize. I didn’t think he would do th—.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Percy cut in, swirling his spoon around in his ice cream, the colors mixing haphazardly. “And I’m…I’m sorry for being so rude earlier. You didn’t deserve it.”

Silently, Nico plucked a rather large piece of cookie from his ice cream, observing it carefully before he popped it into his mouth, wiping the melted ice cream from his fingers thoughtfully onto his jeans. “It doesn’t matter, okay?”

And it really didn’t. He knew no matter what Percy did to him, he would always forgive him. _Stupid, stupid, love_ , Nico hissed to himself, his own internal voice dripping with loathing.

Percy smiled tentatively as he waved around the disc container almost awkwardly, causing an amused smile to quirk up the corners of Nico’s lips. “Are you inviting me to play, _Jackson_?” Nico teased, his body nearly relaxing completely as he saw Percy’s eyes lighten up in response to the playful tone of his voice.

“Only if you’re up to a challenge of course…?”

Nico smirked, a single brow quirking up in reaction to the older teen’s challenging tone. “Well then, bring it on.”

A few moments later, Percy had set up his well hidden television and game console once more, and both teens were exchanging good-natured banter as they focused on nothing more than the screen before them and the feeling of the controllers in their hands. “Can you hand me…the Superman ice cream?” Percy muttered, swaying jerkily as his thumbs twiddled with the functions on the controller.

“Nope,” Nico murmured around the empty spoon in his mouth that he had been too lazy to remove once the game had begun.

“Please?”

“No.”

Percy made in irritated sound in the back of his throat as he reached out to the son of Hades, his eyes still fixed on the screen before him as he single-handedly played the game as if he had both hands available. Nico squealed in surprise, the spoon falling out of his mouth as Percy’s hand jabbed him lightly in the stomach, and wiggled around, making tickling motions. “Gods, _Percy_ , stop!” Nico dropped his controller without a second thought as he struggled to move away from that devious hand.

“You’re ticklish?” Percy mumbled amusedly, finally looking away from the television screen to spare him a glance.

“N-No!” Nico bit into his lower lip harshly, refusing to let out another sound.

“Liar,” Percy snorted, looking back at the screen once more. “Oops, you died.”

Finally, Nico successfully swatted Percy’s hand away, only to sit up and scowl at the older teen as he caught sight of his dead player on the screen. “It’s all your fault.”

“My fault?” Percy snorted, motioning towards Nico with his controller. “It’s your own fault that you _suck_.”

Nico gave the son of Poseidon a quick glare before he turned his back on the older teen petulantly. “Nico?”

The boy in question diligently ignored the older demigod, even as he approached him slowly. “Nico…?”

The son of Hades merely turned in the other direction, causing Percy to huff in frustration at the evasive action. Percy leaned forward, resting his head on Nico’s shoulder, causing the young hero to jump at the movement, his face heating up as he felt those dark locks tickle the back of his neck. Nervously, he turned in the direction of where Percy’s head rested, only to find sea green eyes watching him, seemingly gauging his reaction as they moved closer. _Is…is he going to kiss me?!_

Nico’s breath stuttered in his lungs as Percy moved closer, and just when their lips were ready to meet, Percy turned his head, instead reaching over the younger teen’s shoulder for the Superman ice cream. “Just needed my ice cream,” Percy murmured, his eyes flicking back to Nico’s own as his fingers splayed over the tub of the sweet substance.

“Of course,” Nico responded, cursing himself as his voice nearly came out in a breathless whisper.

Nico unconsciously ran his tongue over his dry lips, unintentionally drawing Percy’s attention to his newly moistened lips. “Want some?” Percy motioned towards the now open tub of ice cream, swiping a plastic spoon off of a stray napkin and dipping it into the creamy treat.

“N-No, I…I’m fine,” Nico persisted even as Percy brought the spoon to slightly parted lips, perching the cutlery on his lower lip, a dark brow rising as he waited for the younger half-blood to part his lips more fully.

Hesitantly, Nico let his mouth fall open, and immediately after, Percy slid the spoon into his mouth, his bright eyes shining with amusement as the raven-haired teen paused before closing his lips over the spoon. “Good?” the older hero pulled the spoon from Nico’s mouth slowly, his eyes following the movement almost obsessively.

Nico gave a quick nod, and moved to swipe away a bit of ice cream that escaped the spoon and was currently trailing down the corner of his mouth. Before he could even reach his mouth, Percy reached out, swiping the bit of cream from his lips, slowly, almost sensually, then popped his forefinger into his mouth, sucking the bit of ice cream off of his own finger. “Tasty.” Percy gave Nico a mischievous grin before moving back to the tub of ice cream, ready to scoop out another spoonful.

This time, it was Nico who followed _Percy’s_ movements almost obsessively as that devious spoon was brought back to his lips another time. With little hesitation, Nico opened his mouth, the spoon finding its way within his warm orifice before it was cleared of the treat it held. When Percy finally removed the spoon from Nico’s lips, it dangled uselessly in his fingers as his bright green orbs met deep brown ones.

Both teens watched each other carefully for a moment, wondering who would break first; who would close the distance between their lips and release the heavy tension that was palpable in the air. To both of their surprises, it was Nico who spanned the gap, pressing his lips to Percy’s tentatively, as if it was his first time all over again.

He felt Percy freeze, and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, immediately regretting his decision, but it was too late to back out now. Quickly, he pulled away, an apology already forming on his lips, but before he so much as get a “sorry” out, Percy pressed forward, their lips merging together indecisively.

Carefully, Nico turned until he was facing Percy fully, and their lips parted once again, their eyes fluttering open at the movement. Nico was the first to speak after the moment of heavy silence in which both demigods spent studying once another’s features carefully. “I…I don’t think we should be doing this.” Nico winced as his voice came out in a husky whisper, despite that, he kept his eyes trained on Percy’s.

“I know,” Percy ran a hand through his dark locks in frustration, his eyes still following the shape of Nico’s lips as the boy worried his plump lower lip between teeth. “But…”

Nico inhaled shakily as Percy leaned forward once more, his warm breath dusting over the younger teen’s features and causing his cheeks to color even more as he spoke. “I just can’t help it.”

And with that, they were on each other once more, much more desperately this time, but not as recklessly as they had been before. This time, there was a hint of affection in their kisses and their passionate touches that scared Nico so much, he nearly pulled away from the touches he so desperately craved. He didn’t want to fruitlessly read into Percy’s every touch, every move of his lips against his own and end up more hurt than he had been before they engaged in… _frivolous_ _activities_. So he attempted to lose himself in every kiss that was placed upon his lips and his skin, and every tender touch that those sinful fingertips trailed across his skin.

Nico had to stop a breathless gasp from leaving his parted lips as Percy nipped the skin of his neck teasingly, his hands running down the younger teen’s torso and beneath his shirt, where his warm hands splayed out over the son of Hades’ cool skin.

Nico unconsciously arched into the warm touch, drawing Percy’s attention back to his lips, which were currently clenched shut as tightly as possible in order to keep from any potentially embarrassing sounds from escaping. Upon seeing this, Percy gently pushed Nico down onto his back, amidst the various tubs of ice cream and gaming devices and discs, following him down the whole way there.

Nico felt his heart thumping faster in his chest as Percy settled atop him, a barely there smirk curling up the corners of his moist lips as he ran his fingertips across the place where the younger demigod’s lips would be if he weren’t clenching his lips shut so tightly. “What on Earth are you doing, Nico?”

The boy in question shook his head feverishly in response, not trusting himself to speak while Percy’s fingers were tracing unknown shapes along his cool skin, leaving tingling sensations in their wake. Percy leaned in until his lips were hovering over Nico’s ear, his warm breath causing the young hero’s eyes to fall closed abruptly. “I can’t kiss you properly with your mouth closed like that,” Percy purred, his hands slowly making their way up to Nico’s pectorals.

The son of Hades couldn’t help the quick intake of breath that caused his lips to part slightly, resulting in a pleased chuckle from the handsome teen above him. “That’s better,” Percy murmured before he possessed Nico’s mouth again, his tongue running across the younger half-blood’s lower lip as if asking for permission to enter.

Nico, who was never truly able to deny Percy anything, let his lips part more fully, a pleasured gasp occurring as Percy nipped his lower lip softly before his tongue delved into the warm orifice, mapping out the area before his tongue attempted to stroke Nico’s into action.

Hesitantly, Nico ran his tongue along Percy’s, a blissful groan escaping his lips as the son of Poseidon tweaked one of his nipples lightly before shimmying between the younger teen’s legs until their erections were pressed against one another. Nico turned his head, breaking the kiss in order to take in more air as Percy slowly grinded against him, a simultaneous groan of pleasure leaving both teens. Nico’s hands flew up to clutch Percy’s biceps as the older teen began nibbling on his exposed neck, his pelvic movements speeding up as a result of the unintentionally sensual sounds bubbling out of Nico’s throat and spilling out over his kiss bruised lips. “You sound so… _sexy_ ,” Percy murmured, leaning in closer to the tug on Nico’s earlobe with his teeth.

“D-Don’t say that,” Nico whimpered, his cheeks flaming with embarrassment even as he tightened his legs around Percy boldly.

Percy chuckled huskily into Nico’s ear, his hips slowing down to a nearly torturous pace, causing Nico to cry out in negation. “Something wrong, _Nico_?”

Stubbornly, Nico shook his head vehemently, his pride refraining him from asking— _begging_ —for what he really wanted. Percy made of show of shrugging nonchalantly, his hips slowing down to an even slower place, and a devilish smile tilting up the corners of his lips as he watched Nico bite harshly into his lower lip, refusing to demean himself to a pathetic puddle of need. “Ask me.” Percy’s voice was a breathy whisper, and Nico could tell it was taking a lot for him not to give into his own needs and fuck him right there on the spot.

The thought made his already colored cheeks darken further, something that Percy noticed right away. “What are you thinking?”

Oh hell no. If he wouldn’t ask Percy to hump him like some animal in heat, what made the older teen think he would tell him the wicked things that were running through his mind?

Percy seemed to sense as much if the twinkle in his eyes was anything to go by. “Ever the blushing virgin, di Angelo.”

“I-I’m not a v-virgin,” Nico hissed out from between clenched teeth, wondering why he felt the need to comment on the obvious.

“I know; I’m pretty sure I’m the one who made sure of that, hmm?” Percy’s smile only widened as Nico flushed with embarrassment. “Don’t tell me you so easily forgot who popped your cherry…?”

Despite the pleasure stemming from Percy’s touches, Nico made an irritated sound in the back of his throat. “You’re so—.”

“Hot?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of _vulgar_.”

Percy’s brows rose in a dismissive gesture. “That works too.”

Then he was devouring Nico’s lips again, and the son of Hades was drowning in the older teen’s taste, his legs tightening around Percy, bringing him impossibly closer as he arched into the heat of those scheming hands. “We’re not _nearly_ naked enough,” Percy almost growled out against the younger demigod’s lips, his voice holding a seductive quality that had Nico shivering beneath him though his eyes betrayed his surprise at the older teen’s statement.

“What, you’d think I’d just let you cum in your pants?” Percy teased, pulling back to rid himself of his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

“N-No, I just…”

“You just…?”

“I don’t know,” Nico whispered, tracing the contours of Percy’s muscled abdomen with his eyes until the son of Poseidon’s amused chuckle startled him from his lust induced reverie.

“You do realize this is not a strip club, Nico; you don’t have to pay extra to touch, so go ahead and go wild.”

Nico quickly diverted his gaze as his mouth opened and shut soundlessly for a few moments before he gave up on speech altogether, his hands fidgeting uselessly at his sides. That just seemed to amuse Percy even more, seeing as he smirked down at him mischievously, his hands gripping the dark fabric that was Nico’s shirt and tugging on it gently.

Uncertainly, Nico lifted his arms, allowing Percy to pull off his tee and toss it haphazardly across the room. Internally, Nico hoped it was close enough that he wouldn’t have to search too hard in an event that something similar to Annabeth bursting into the room happened again. Nico was nearly swept up in the painful memories of that night until Percy tweaked his nipple lightly to get his attention and caused him to gasp softly at the sensation, his attention completely on the teen above him once more. “Don’t tell me you’re daydreaming _right now_?” Percy questioned dubiously, accenting his words by trailing his fingers over Nico’s straining erection.

“I-I’m not,” Nico grunted, barely stifling a groan.

“Liar. Nobody just drifts off during sex, what were you thinking of?”

Nico averted his gaze, refusing to open up to Percy and let him in; to let him see just how hurt he was by his actions. So naturally, Percy thought the worse. “No, let me guess; you were thinking about _Jason_ , weren’t you?” he sneered, his fist clenching at his sides dangerously.

For a moment, Nico sat there, frozen by shock. Percy really was _something_. Nico made a sound akin to a growl in the back of throat as he shoved an unsuspecting Percy Jackson off of his person, his dark eyes glinting dangerously as he jolted upwards. “ _No_ , I’m not thinking about Jason _fucking_ Grace! Why does everyone assume we’re a _thing_?”

“Because you’re always with him,” Percy mumbled, obviously affronted by Nico’s actions.

“Why does that _mean_ anything?! He’s the only person I have at this stupid camp, the only one who’s even willing to give me the time of day while the rest of you pay no attention to me whatsoever! So can you really blame for…for clinging to him like some needy _leech_?” Nico inwardly winced at the last part of his rant, wishing he could take that back somehow.

Percy sighed irritably, throwing his hands up in an agitated gesture. “Why do you always act as if you don’t have me? I’m always here for you—.”

“Bullshit,” Nico spat, the harsh look in his eyes hardening further. “You’re here for me when you _want_ to be, and that’s usually only when you want a quick fuck, isn’t it?”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh cut the crap Percy! That’s all I’m good for to you; you don’t have to play it off like I mean more to you than I really do. Our relationship doesn’t exceed _sex_ , meaning I’m only a sex outlet to you.” Nico inwardly cursed himself, wishing he could stop his words, but he knew he couldn’t. Now that they were out they most likely wouldn’t stop until he got out every humiliating syllable.

“Will you just listen to me for a moment?” Percy snarled loudly, causing Nico to flinch at his tone, his mouth snapping shut quickly in response.

“I don’t _know_ , what you mean to me, okay? But all I know is that I don’t want to lose you. I _can’t_ lose you; you mean so much to me. Don’t you get that?”

Nico turned away, a burning sensation prickling the back of his eyes as he struggled to keep his ever-changing emotions at bay. “Nico…”

The son of Hades stiffened as he felt more than saw Percy move closer once again, and he suddenly felt very self conscious without his shirt on his naked torso. Percy grasped his chin gently yet firmly, and Nico reluctantly turned as the older teen guided his head in his—Percy’s—direction. “I mean it, okay?”

Nico merely remained silent, glaring into Percy’s eyes stubbornly, and causing the older teen to sigh softly in return. Percy then leaned forward, pressing his lips to Nico’s forehead before he spoke once again. “Why don’t you believe me?”

Instead of answering, Nico simply pulled out of Percy’s grasp, only to have the elder demigod place a chaste kiss on the nape of his neck. Nico, whose resolve was quickly faltering with every tender kiss Percy placed upon his face and neck, let out a shuddering breath before he let his eyes fall closed in order to surrender to the wonderful touches from those lips.

Eventually, he let Percy gently guide him back down to the ground, the cold hardwood floors causing him to shiver as his bare back pressed against it. When Percy did nothing more than stroke his face in an affectionate gesture, Nico slowly opened his eyes, staring into the older teen’s beautiful orbs. “Let me show you.” Percy’s voice was no more than a sensual whisper that seemed to overwhelm Nico’s every sense, but even then, he wasn’t done speaking. “Let me show you how much you mean to me.”

And with that, their lips were slotting together once more, gently this time around, and tentatively, Nico reached up, his fingers finding their way into Percy’s dark locks. Percy made a relieved sound at Nico’s action, as if he were afraid that the son of Hades would reject him. A few moments later, Percy broke the kiss in order to trail simple kisses down Nico’s neck and chest, surprisingly not leaving behind any of his usual love bites.

Nico made a soft gasping sound when Percy drew nearer to his nipples, nibbling the skin around the sensitive peaks. Slowly, Percy fiddled with button on Nico’s dark jeans, making his intentions known as he locked gazes with the younger teen. Nico swallowed heavily before he gave a barely there nod that he knew the older demigod perceived when he unhurriedly began to unbutton the jeans, keeping his eyes on the younger teen’s as he did so.

_Don’t think, don’t think…_

It was a constant mantra in his mind even as he lifted his hips, helping Percy to pull them off of his slim figure carefully, those calloused fingers trailing down his skin and helping to chase away the distracting thoughts the whole way through.

The son of Hades bit down on his kiss bruised lower lip as Percy’s hand brushed over his clothed erection tantalizingly before gripping his length gently. Nico tossed his head to the side in an attempt to evade those bright eyes as Percy ran his thumb over the cloth clad tip that was currently damp, much to his embarrassment. Nico couldn’t help the full body tremble that shook his body as Percy leaned forward, his warm breath cascading over the flustered half-blood’s skin. “I want to hear you,” he stated softly, his voice nearly a purr as he stroked Nico’s erect member through his boxers.

Nico let out a choked whimper at the action as well as the words, still refusing to embarrass himself further by making such _wanton_ sounds. Percy seemed to sense as much, and he picked up the pace of his strokes, not put off in the least at Nico’s obstinacy. “I want to hear you moan for _me_ ,” Percy nibbled lightly on Nico’s earlobe.

Nico’s head shook obstinately and as a result of this, Percy’s grip on cock tightened and the pace of is strokes increased, forcing a strangled moan from the younger teen’s throat. Nico’s eyes clenched shut as embarrassment caused his cheeks to heat up further as more of those humiliating sounds were forced from his parted lips. “Gods Nico,” Percy groaned out softly as he fiddled with the parted section of the younger teen’s boxers, his own erection straining to be freed from its place in his jeans.

“ _P-Percy_ ,” Nico whimpered, squirming helplessly beneath the older teen as nimble fingers brushed across his neglected member unhindered.

“What do you want?”

Nico cried out softly at Percy skilled, feather-light touches over his cock through the parted section in his underwear along with the sensual tone of his voice. “Ask me,” Percy urged, his forefinger skimming over a portion of the boy’s length.

“I-I can’t—.”

“Yes you can. Do it.”

Then Percy’s fingers moved away, and Nico nearly sobbed at the loss, his head tossing back and forth hysterically at the denied pleasure. “P-Please!”

“Please what?”

“Please, please, _please_ ,” Nico babbled as if he were begging for his life.

“Nico—.”

“T-Touch me! Do it, do it, _touch me_ , please!”

Nico cried out his pleasure as Percy’s hand delved into the waistband of his boxers, that warm hand gripping his member completely unhindered. Percy thumb brushed over the tip of his erection, spreading the leaking precum around the head before he jerked his hand lightly, causing Nico’s head to loll on his neck almost as if he were inebriated.

“Good?” Percy murmured, his tongue running over his lower lip unconsciously as the head of Nico’s length peeked out from the waistband of his boxers.

When Nico didn’t answer, too caught up in the throes of bliss to even form words, Percy’s movements became increasingly faster, those sea green orbs trained on the younger teen, drinking in his every reaction.

Nico’s hips bucked up into Percy’s hands against his will, incomprehensible sounds tumbling from his lips. The movements over his cock were too much, but at the same time, too little, and he needed _more_. Much to his dismay, he realized, if he wanted more, he would have to _ask_.

Groaning in a mixture of refusal and delight as Percy’s hand slid lower, cupping his balls boldly, he moved to rid himself of his remaining clothing, much to older teen’s surprise. A smirk tipped up the corners of Percy’s lips as he noticed Nico’s rugged black Converses still adorned each of his feet. “Hold on.” Percy swatted Nico’s frantic hands from his boxers, moving to focus on taking each shoe off with careful precision, leaving behind a straining erection and near furious boy.

Nico growled angrily as Percy, just now removing his shoe after a few minutes of careful consideration. “You…f-fucking tease,” Nico hissed out through clenched teeth as he took the liberty to kick the shoe off of his other foot before toeing off the sock while Percy steadily took his time removing the other parcel of clothing from the remaining foot.

When the sock was finally removed after seconds of torturous teasing that felt to Nico like hours, the son of Hades scrambled out of his boxers, breathing out a sigh of relief as Percy chose not to prolong the removal of that certain piece of clothing. After a few moments spent by Percy simply staring at his bare body, Nico began to realize just how _naked_ he was, and he was almost positive he was blushing down to his toes by that time. Percy merely smiled genuinely at his blush, remarking on his supposed “cuteness” before his slid down Nico’s body until he was settled comfortably between his pale thighs, much to the younger teen’s mortification, though he couldn’t help but watch as the older hero confidently grasped his neglected member in his warm hand, those bright eyes focused on the younger demigod’s every move.

Nico gasped softly, officially giving up on trying to keep himself quiet as Percy’s hand began to slowly jerk his length once again. At the feel of Percy’s warm breath cascading over his member, Nico propped himself up on his elbows, his dark orbs hazed with pleasure though he had enough of a clear head to realize what Percy’s intentions were. When Percy evidently realized that Nico’s gaze was on him, he simply gave the boy a crooked smile before speaking. “I want to taste you.”

It was more of a request than an actual question, and who was Nico to deny the older teen what he wanted, especially when it was his… _genital_ , in Percy’s mouth? That being said, he gave a hesitant nod and Percy moved closer, an excited gleam in his eyes.

“Have you ever done this before?” Nico whispered tentatively as Percy’s eyes roamed over his length studiously.

“Nope, you’re the first guy I’ve ever been with.”

That came as a surprise to son of Hades, and he had to stop himself from letting his jaw slacken as Percy continued speaking. “But I know more than enough about blowjobs, so don’t worry, I’ll be a little more than adequate.”

Percy’s voice carried an air of teasing that had Nico unconsciously relaxing as he nodded his head trustingly. The younger teen stopped breathing altogether as Percy’s lips parted, his tongue momentarily flicking out of his mouth to gather the drop of precum that had gathered at the tip before it drew back in, a pensive look on the older teen’s handsome features. “It’s kind of…bitter, yet salty at the same time,” Percy murmured, more to himself than to Nico as he moved back in, his warm breath sending shivers through the younger demigod’s entire being.

Percy gave the tip one more cursory lick before he descended over the erect length, stopping when Nico was sure he was ready to gag. “ _Shit_ ,” Nico breathed out, his fingers grasping for purchase on the cool flooring as Percy pulled back only partially, his tongue swirling around the head before he went back down, taking a little more of length this time.

Nico let out a shuddering moan as Percy hallowed his cheeks, his tongue simultaneously running along the underside of his cock. In that moment, Nico decided that this was the best blowjob he’s ever gotten, though he may be a little biased seeing as it was the _first_ he’s ever gotten.

When Percy slid down further, taking a bit of the younger half-blood’s length into his throat and gagging ever so slightly at the action, Nico couldn’t help but buck up into the heat that the older teen’s gullet provided. Immediately, Percy backed off, Nico’s saliva coated member sliding out of his mouth unceremoniously with an embarrassing slurping noise. “Dammit, Nico,” Percy choked out, inhaling the air he was momentarily deprived of greedily.

The son of Hades had the good graces to look a bashful, his already flustered skin darkening until he was nearly the color of a strawberry. “S-Sorry.”

Shyly, Nico ran a hand through Percy’s unruly locks, his hand trembling with every movement. “Are…you okay?”

Percy studied him carefully for a moment before smiling crookedly, his lips layered with his own spittle. “I’m fine.”

Nico nodded hesitantly, watching the older teen as he sat up, shuffling to the bedside table and pulling out an all too familiar tube of lube. Percy wiggled his brows mischievously as he unbuttoned his jeans, Nico, still the ever blushing boy, turned away at the sight, though his member hardened impossibly further as he realized what was soon to come.

When Percy returned, Nico squealed in surprise to see the older teen hovering over him, completely nude. The son of Poseidon chuckled good-naturedly at Nico’s reaction, merely brushing the boy’s bangs from his wide, agonizingly innocent eyes. “You forgot something,” Nico muttered, gazing up at the teen above him who was tenderly stroking his hair.

“Hmm?”

“Condoms. We need a condom.”

Percy let out a petulant sigh as he pulled back, going for the bedside table once more. “I was hoping you’d forget.”

Nico snorted softly at that. He knew Percy thought he was ridiculous for demanding condoms every time they did _this_. He was already in the wrong for sleeping with a guy in a relationship, so the least he could do was keep himself safe, seeing as Percy was regularly having sex with Annabeth as well.

Nico pushed that thought out of his mind as Percy shuffled back over to him, the condom package seeming to glint deviously in his hand, matching the twinkle in the older hero’s eyes. Percy settled himself on his knees, then tossed the small parcel to Nico, smirking wickedly. “Put it on me.”

“Huh?” Nico asked dumbly, staring at the package in his hand as if it had all the answers in the world.

“Put it on me,” Percy repeated, motioning to his erect member.

Nico hastily shoved the packet at the older teen, more than mortified at Percy’s request. “N-No! You have two hands, do it yourself!”

Percy grinned knowingly, as if expecting this reaction from the younger teen. The older demigod reached over, snatching up the tube of lube, ignoring the glinting package Nico was trying to shove into his hands as he squirted the cool substance onto his hand. “Now I only have one hand to use, so please, be a dear and put it on for me.” Percy’s brows rose challengingly, as if daring Nico to find a way around this.

“But…”

“If you don’t want to put it on me, I guess it means we won’t be using a condom.”

Nico’s head shot up at that, his brows slamming down determinedly as he realized the older demigod’s intentions. He didn’t think he’d put it on him. Huh, he didn’t know what Percy’s addiction to sex without a condom was, but he refused to appease to the elder’s wishes this time around.

Daringly, yet a tad bit nervously, he fumbled with the package in his hand, giving up on tearing it open with his shaky fingers when the seal refused to budge. He then brought the small package up to his lips, successfully tearing the package open with his teeth, and spitting out the remaining scrap. Percy watched him carefully throughout all of this, following every one of his motions carefully, as if waiting for him slip up.

But he didn’t. And after a few deep breaths meant to calm his racing heartbeat, he had the condom out of the package and clenched between his shaking fingers. After he determined which way the condom was rolled, he nervously glanced at Percy’s erect member, careful not to make eye contact with the older teen as he edged closer, struggling to keep the tremble out of his fingers as he carefully rolled the condom on, causing the cock in his grip to jump pleasurably as he nudged off the older teen’s reassuring hand on his shoulder subtly.

When he finished, he scuffled back, his gaze fixed on the floor stubbornly as he clenched his fist to stop the embarrassing trembles he was positive Percy had felt. “Nico…?”

The teen in question studiously ignored Percy’s husky voice, and instead focused on keeping down the embarrassment at what he just did. “I’m sorry,” Percy murmured hesitantly as he shuffled forward, ducking his head to catch Nico’s gaze.

Nico looked up in surprise, the quick movement causing his bangs to fall into his eyes. “I made you upset, didn’t I?” Percy reached out, brushing the rebellious locks out of his eyes, only to have them fall back mere seconds later.

“I was only teasing,” Percy rushed on, trailing his fingers down the slope of Nico’s neck, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m fine,” Nico insisted, hastily pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of Percy’s mouth, only to have the older teen turn into the kiss more fully.

Nico forced himself to relax as Percy tongue swept into his warm orifice, teasing the tip of his own tongue before stroking it more fully. When the duo finally broke apart, Nico flinched as he felt something cold against his thigh. “Sorry,” Percy muttered, wiggling his lube covered fingers, “Forgot I had it on.”

Nico gave a small, shaky smile at that, letting Percy guide him back down to his back in order to prepare him for the upcoming events. Percy slid down his body and between his parted legs, this time his focus more on Nico’s puckered orifice, though he did spare the boy’s erect cock a fleeting stroke of his tongue.

The son of Hades let out a deep breath as he felt those cool fingers running around his rim, leaving the chilly substance in its wake as Percy carefully pressed the fingertip of his forefinger into the boy’s tight entrance. Nico squirmed uncomfortably as Percy pushed more of his finger into the resisting hole, the feeling not painful, but not yet pleasurable either. “Does it hurt?” Percy asked, though his eyes were trained on the sight of Nico’s greased hole taking his finger almost greedily.

Nico shook his head, turning from the sight and squeezing his eyes shut tightly, struggling to keep his mortification at being watched so closely at bay. He felt Percy’s finger wiggle inside of him, undoubtedly looking for the younger teen’s pleasure point. After a few moments of Percy’s blind search, he curled his forefinger in a “come hither” motion, and Nico swore his saw stars bursting beneath his lids as his arched like a taut bowstring, a low needy whine falling unhindered from his kiss bruised lips.

“Found it,” Percy muttered triumphantly, thrusting his slightly curled finger in further, making the son of Hades tremble beneath him.

“P-Percy!” Nico gasped out when that devious finger sped up inside of him, his eyes fluttering open as pure bliss shot through his body, making his skin tingle from his head down to the tips of his toes.

“More,” the younger teen urged, propping himself up on his elbows and catching Percy’s attention in the process.

“Another finger?”

Nico nodded feverishly, his hips unconsciously thrusting into the pleasure Percy’s finger provided. “I don’t think you’re ready.” Percy’s voice held an air of teasing that Nico was not in the mood for, not when it was subtly denying him of what he wanted—no, _needed_.

Nico growled softly, his tight orifice clenching around Percy’s finger unintentionally as his body tensed with frustration. Percy marveled at the feel, momentarily ignoring nearly fuming Italian below him. “Huh, where’d you learn to do that?”

“Shut up and add another finger,” Nico grunted out, his head nearly lolling on his neck at the excruciating pleasure that wasn’t quite enough.

Percy’s lips tipped up in wicked smirk at that, and he nudged the boy’s clenching hole with his second finger, an innocent look taking over his handsome features though his eyes glinted with mischief. “You sure you can take it?”

Nico lips drew back in an animalistic snarl that wasn’t quite intimidating as he would have liked it to be, seeing as he was currently flushed the color of cotton candy while simultaneously impaled on the length of Percy’s finger. “If you don’t—.”

Before he could finish, Percy was pushing in the second finger, momentarily taking away all conscious thought in the process. “Better?” The tip of Percy’s finger was making its way into his warm orifice, and Nico stiffened with discomfort, though mere seconds ago he had been demanding that the finger be slid in alongside the other.

“Push out,” Percy suggested, as if sensing the younger teen’s discomfort.

Nico nodded, knowing the action wouldn’t be lost to the older teen as he focused on trying to push out, which was a rather embarrassing task. “There you go,” Percy voice was hushed as he slid in his second finger more easily than before.

The younger demigod sighed softly in relief as he felt the second finger within him, which had be a slightly easier feat than the first one. Percy curled both fingers this time, forcing a quiet mewling sound from the young hero as he moved his fingers in a scissoring motion, careful to keep running his fingers over Nico’s pleasure spot as he did so.

After a few moments spent with Nico writhing in pure pleasure and Percy content to just watch and make rather dirty comments as he did so. “One more finger okay? I don’t want to hurt you like I did last time,” Percy stated softly, his sea green orbs focused on Nico’s face for his reaction.

“You…didn’t… _hurt me_ ,” Nico nearly gasped out as Percy applied pressure to his pleasure point, nearly making his eyes roll into the back of his head.

“Yes I did. You were crying, I remember.”

Nico tensed at the reminder, not very willing to tell the older teen what the true reason was for his tears. “Please Nico? I don’t want to hurt you.”

The younger teen’s heart clenched at those words, at how oblivious Percy was to how much hurt he had actually caused him. But he managed to will those thoughts away. He wouldn’t spoil this, not the precious moments he’d rarely have time to spend with the older teen. “Okay,” he acquiesced, much to Percy’s surprise; apparently he hadn’t expected him to give in so quickly.

“It’s going to be a tight squeeze,” Percy warned, pulling his two fingers from the boy’s hole before he paired them with the third. “You ready?”

Nico took a steady breath, preparing himself to push out as much as possible for this. “Yeah.”

Percy slowly began pressing his fingers back inside, meeting much more resistance than he had with the previous fingers. Nico hissed softly at the sting that wasn’t quite unbearable, but not exactly the most comfortable thing either. If he could bear being trapped in a jar with little to no food to eat, he was almost positive he could handle a little stinging in his ass.

Nico winced as Percy’s fingers forced their way through his tight ring, and he continued to push out though he knew the hard part was relatively over. “That’s it,” Percy coaxed him, drizzling more lube over his fingers when he felt as if they had become too dry.

When Percy’s fingers were settled a tad bit comfortably in the tight, sporadically clenching orifice, they wiggled around a bit, once more searching for the spot that had the ability to make Nico cry out unwillingly. “You okay?” Percy’s brows were furrowed with concern as Nico fidgeted rather uncomfortably. “Am I hurting you?”

“No, it just feels _weird_ ,” Nico worried his lower lip between his teeth, impatiently waiting for the pleasurable sensation that usually accompanied a thrust from those devious fingers.

Percy nodded, and curled the three fingers that were within the younger teen, determinedly searching for that pleasure point that would make the boy beneath him go limp. And soon enough, he found it, if Nico’s cry of bliss was anything to go by. Nico cried out loudly as Percy leaned forward, running his tongue over the boy’s weeping length while simultaneously plunging his fingers into that tight heat.

When Percy took the head of Nico’s cock into his mouth, his tongue running teasingly over the slit at the tip, the younger teen shook his head, trembling under those careful ministrations. “T-Too much,” he gasped out, his hands tangling in Percy’s hair.

Nico wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to push the older teen away or pull him forward so that he could completely engulf the remainder of his length, but what he did know was that it wouldn’t be long before he came if Percy didn’t stop.

“ _Percy_ , it’s too much,” Nico whimpered out, barely refraining from bucking up into the heat Percy’s mouth provided even as the older teen’s fingers teased his pleasure spot mercilessly.

Percy merely hallowed his cheeks, taking a deep breath through his nose as he lowered himself further on the young Italian’s length, nearly taking him completely into his mouth a little bit down his throat. Nico’s hands clenched in Percy’s unruly locks, a desperate moan tumbling from his lips as the pace of the fingers within him increased while the older hero bobbed up and down on his erect member. “Stop, y-you’re going to make me cum!” Nico whined. The thought of coming in Percy’s mouth was nothing short of mortifying yet strangely appealing to him as well.

Apparently the thought appealed to the older teen as well seeing as he did not pull off, but simply increased the pace of his bobbing, his teeth scraping over Nico’s member lightly and causing the younger teen to hiss at the slight stinging pain. Soon enough, Nico felt the familiar welling feeling deep inside his groin, ready to be released at the slightest pleasurable action. Nico didn’t know which direction to move in; whether to buck upward or into the pleasure the older teen’s fingers provided. “Percy!”

And with that, Percy’s fingers slid out of his slightly gaping orifice with a slick sounding pop that didn’t begin to compare to the embarrassing slurping noise that was made as Percy’s pulled off of Nico’s saliva coated length, his tongue running over his spittle covered lips before he smiled devilishly. “Tasty.”

Nico shivered at the tone of his voice, though his body trembled at the lost of pleasure Percy’s fingers and mouth provided. The younger teen propped himself up on shaky elbows as he watch Percy slather lube onto his condom covered cock, not yet noticing that he was being watched. When the older demigod had finished, he looked up, catching Nico’s gaze in the process. “You ready?”

Nico nodded eagerly, not yet able to form words seeing as leftover waves of bliss were washing over him, making his member throb with the need for more attention. Percy scooted closer, settling himself on his knees as he pulled Nico so close, the boy was nearly straddling him. The older half-blood took the younger teen’s legs and wrapped them around his waist, looking to the raven-haired demigod for his approval on the position. Nico nodded, though he was slightly embarrassed to be so exposed even after everything they had done thus far. “Tell me if I hurt you, okay?” Percy murmured, positioning the head of his cock at Nico’s slightly gaping orifice.

The younger of the two nodded his consent and took a shaky breath as Percy began the task of getting his length inside of him. “Push out again,” Percy mumbled, completely focused on the quite difficult task of getting the head of his cock in the rather small orifice.

“I am,” Nico grunted, “Just push it in all at once.”

Percy’s head snapped as he gave the younger teen a dubious look. “It will hurt—.”

“I don’t care, just do it.”

“Nico—.”

“If you don’t do, I’ll do it myse—.”

Nico cut off in a pained sound, his eyes clenching shut as Percy’s member forced its way into his resistant hole, causing a few tears to spring to the boy’s eyes. “I told you it would hurt,” Percy wore a look of worry on his handsome features as he moved closer to reach the younger teen’s face, but stopped when he heard him give a wounded gasp.

“Don’t…don’t move. Be still, please.”

Nico’s jaw was clenched so tightly, he was surprised he teeth didn’t shatter with the force, though he relaxed partially when Percy ran a tender hand through his hair, his sea green orbs filled with concern. “I’m fine, I just need a minute,” Nico gave the older teen a shaky, reassuring smile.

“Just tell me when.”

The two remained that way until the pain dulled, not completely, but until it was nothing more than a shallow throbbing that Nico didn’t mind as much as before. He felt so full, completely stretched open by the cock pressed within him. It wasn’t pleasurable yet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable either. “I’m ready.” Nico’s voice was a husky whisper that made Percy’s cock twitch within his orifice, the sensation it caused making the younger demigod gasp softly.

“You sure?”

Nico nodded slowly, tentatively reaching up and wrapping his arms around Percy’s neck as the older teen leaned forward, hovering over him, careful not to put too much weight on him in the process. When the two teens were finally face-to-face, Nico stretched upwards, pressing his lips to Percy’s, mewling softly into his mouth when the older demigod’s hips pulled back, his length sliding back and partially out of the clenching orifice.

Percy leaned closer to deepen the kiss as he pushed inwards, Nico shuddering against him at the feel. “Gods, you’re so _tight_ ,” Percy hissed through clenched teeth, nipping the boy’s trembling lower lip.

After a few slow thrusts, Nico’s head tipped back, a loud moan falling from his lips as the last thrust hit the pleasure spot within him. “ _Buono! Così buono.”_

Percy’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar language, a strangled groan falling from his own lips at the words rolling off of Nico’s tongue beautifully. “Are you speaking Italian?”

Nico’s mouth snapped shut as he realized, he was in fact speaking his first language. “Holy Hera, that was so _hot_ ,” Percy muttered, his hips snapping forward and forcing a muffled curse from Nico.

“M-More!” Nico bucked into Percy’s thrust, trying to get the older teen to move faster.

“So eager,” Percy’s chuckle sounded like pure, unadulterated _sex_ , and it was the only warning Nico got before Percy’s hips took off, as if they had a mind of their own, that thick cock hitting his pleasure point almost precisely with each thrust inward.

“Oh _shit_ ,” Nico whimpered, pushing back into to Percy’s vigorous thrusts shamelessly, his head tossing back and forth as incoherent sounds tumbled from his parted lips.

Percy took hold of hips to stop him from thrashing about wildly, and Nico nearly cried out in negation, until the older teen took hold of his thighs to control the force of the thrust. “You’re going to make me cum if you keep moving like that,” Percy hissed softly, his eyes glazed with lust.

At that, Nico rolled his hips slowly, making Percy groan out his pleasure, his head tipping back blissfully as his hips punched up into the heat of that ever clenching orifice. The younger teen couldn’t help but feel smug at that, finally able to get his revenge for Percy’s continuous teasing, though this wasn’t exactly how he’d imagined doing it. Wantonly, Nico grinded back on Percy’s length, relishing in the sounds the older teen was making, along with the pleasure that was shoot through ever fiber of his being. “ _Tease_ ,” Percy growled out before leaned forward until he completely covered the boy below him, though he was careful not to put too much weight on him as he slid his hands beneath the younger teen, clutching the back of his shoulders as he pounded into him as punishment for his teasing.

Nico clutched Percy’s biceps as he whimpered pleasurably at the force of the thrusts within him that were sending him in a frenzy with the need to cum, his previously denied orgasm coming back with a vengeance. But he didn’t want to cum yet, he wanted this coupling to last as long as possible, seeing as it would most likely be a while before they did this again, between Jason’s protective tendencies and Annabeth plainly being Percy’s girlfriend.

Nico gasped loudly as Percy pulled his body downward to meet every quick thrust into to his clenching orifice. The younger demigod was too far gone with pleasure to be concerned about the embarrassing slick noises that were being made every time Percy moved within him. The young Italian tightened his legs around Percy’s back, pressing the heels of his feet into the older teen’s bare backside to push him in as deeply as possible with every inward thrust.

“Dammit Nico,” Percy grunted out between thrusts that were becoming more forceful and jerky with every second that passed. “I don’t know how much longer I can last, you’re so _tight_.”

It took Nico a few moments to find his words, but when he did, they came out as a breathy whine instead of actual coherent statements. “M-Me either. Are you gonna…pull out?”

“No.”

And with that, Percy was thrusting into Nico’s heat, making sure to go as deep as possible to make the boy lose the inability to think about anything but the feel of his member moving within him.

Much to his own surprise, it worked. “Percy… _gods_ …touch me,” Nico nearly demanded, his voice an airy whisper.

The younger teen mewled softly as he felt Percy’s fist incase his throbbing cock, jerking it in tandem with the pace of the thrusts. Nico arched into the fist, his body trembling as he felt the familiar pressure building in his groin. “I’m gonna cum,” he gasped out, and Percy’s hand only sped up at the words, eager to turn the boy below him into writhing mess.

Nico let out a low helpless whine as he felt the first spurt of cum shoot from his cock, splattering onto his and Percy’s chest and trailing down the older demigod’s still moving hand while simultaneously making his hole clench spastically. Nico barely heard Percy’s pleasured grunt, but he definitely felt the member within him jerking, a telltale sign that the older hero was in the throes of ecstasy as well.

When both teens had come down from their high of bliss, Percy slowly slid his now flaccid member from Nico’s orifice, removing his hand from the boy’s sensitive length as well. Nico shivered as the aftershocks of his orgasm rolled through him, his bangs sticking to his forehead from the sweat that had gathered there. Percy carefully removed the condom from his length, careful not to spill any of the liquid like substance it contained. Soon after, Percy pulled the smaller boy against him, and Nico turned into the warmth he provided, snuggling into Percy’s chest comfortably, content to just rest.

“That was amazing,” Percy mused, pulling the comforter off of his bed and covering both of their nude, overheated bodies with it.

Nico hummed in agreement, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. Percy merely chuckled, leaning down a pressing a chaste kiss to his damp forehead as he drifted off to a blissful sleep.

** Jason’s POV **

Jason awoke slowly, not yet ready to face the problems of the day just yet. _Not without Piper_ , his mind pitifully supplied, making him pull the blanket over his head as a wave of sorrow nearly overtook him.

 _Get it together, Grace_ , he chastised himself gently, yet firmly, as he sat up, looking around the dim room he was in. Okaaaay, this was _not_ his cabin. He groaned softly at the thought of Juno wiping his memories and sending him to some unknown place with the task of joining yet another camp together with Camp Half-Blood as well as Camp Jupiter.

As his eyes focused, allowing him to see where he was, his anxiousness faded upon the realization that he was in Nico’s cabin, though the son of Hades was nowhere in sight. “Nico?” he called out groggily, slowly standing from the bed and untangling his legs from the travel-sized blanket.

He stumbled over the blanket a few times before he successfully detached himself from its confines. “Nico…?” he shuffled over to the bathroom and flipped on the switch, squinting his eyes as he was momentarily stunned by the bright light. When his vision came into focus, his golden brows rose curiously when there was no sign of the raven-haired demigod.

Jason walked back into the main room, glancing at the clock to confirm the time. 5:32 AM. Where on Earth could Nico possibly be at 5:32 in the morning _except_ in bed asleep? Jason’s brow creased with a frown as he made his way back over to the bed, settling himself down quietly. He would wait…yeah, that’s what he’d do; anything to keep the loss of Piper out of his mind even for just a minute.

So he waited. And about an hour and some minutes later, the cabin door creaked open slowly, a tuft of obsidian colored hair peeking through before a face followed. Jason watched curiously as a disheveled Nico slid into the cabin, obviously not yet aware he was being watched. The younger teen breathed out a sigh of relief as he closed the cabin door almost silently, his forehead pressed against the doorframe momentarily before he turned, immediately startled by the sight of Jason wide awake and watching him closely. “Gods, Jason!” Nico placed a trembling hand over his heart, a scowl fixing itself on his features. “What the hell—.”

“Where were you?” Jason cut in, his hands dutifully folded in his lap.

“What is this, some kind of interrogation?” Nico snorted, the noise much too forced for Jason’s liking.

“It’s,” Jason spared a glanced to the digital clock sitting on the bedside table, “6:37 in the morning.”

“Okay…?”

As Nico moved across the cabin, his steps were strangely uneven, and when Jason looked down, he saw why. “And where’s your other shoe?”

Nico grunted noncommittally, toeing off his remaining shoe then his socks. “What are you, Grace, my mother?”

“Well excuse me for being worried—.”

“I can handle myself,” Nico snapped, walking over to his dresser.

“I’m sure you can, but—.”

“I was with Ava, and before that, I went to see Piper.”

Anything else Jason was planning on saying dried up in his throat at those words. “You…you went to see _Piper_?”

Nico glanced at him blandly. “Didn’t I just say that?”

“What did you see her for?”

“I told her about the Aphrodisiac and that everything that happened was not your fault. Turns out Aphrodisiacs are no jokes,” Nico mused, pulling out a loose black t-shirt and a pair of black-plaid pajama bottoms.

Jason’s mouth flapped open and shut as he struggled over which question he should ask first. Of course, being that he was _Jason Grace_ , he decided to ask the question that pertained to his welfare last. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, what happened yesterday in regards to the effects of the Aphrodisiac is going to be happening for up to a week. That’s why I was with Ava; I was looking for a cure.”

“ _What_?”

“Yeah, apparently I drank some ‘Sacred Love Wine,’ whatever.”

Jason scoffed at Nico’s dismissive tone as he stood up, walking over to the younger teen. “Nico this is a big deal—,” before he could finish, he was overwhelmed by the heavy smell of the ocean clinging to the younger half-blood that he knew he had smelled elsewhere than the beach.

“Jason?”

Jason ignored him, and took another step forward, bringing him nearly chest-to-chest with the younger demigod who immediately flushed at their close proximity. Jason was sure it didn’t help much when leaned forward, his warm breath ghosting over the boy’s reddening face. “J-Jason, what are you d-doing?”

When Nico moved to take a step back, Jason reached up, grasping his shoulders gently yet firmly and pulled the boy close to him until his nose was hovering over the nape of his neck. “Jason!”

The son of Jupiter ignored the younger teen’s frantic questions as he inhaled deeply, the origin of the scent hitting him.

Now he knew where it was he recognized the smell from. It was the same thing he smelled whenever he walked past Cabin 3 and stood next to the sole inhabitant of the cabin.

Nico smelled exactly like Percy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever have any questions or concerns about the story, or you just want to nag me to update faster (which is perfectly fine), feel free to email me at Moment4Life.AO3@outlook.com  
> Translations:  
> buono - good  
> così buono - so good


	9. Life is Chances That Are Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Nico was everything he wished he could be; he was freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so very proud of myself for powering through this chapter much faster than I thought I would, and I would like to point out that it was thanks to Rhea Horan (not very sure of what your AO3 username is, sorry darling), who gave me the idea of including Percy's POV, which was very helpful seeing as I was at a lost for what write for this chapter. So thank you! Your suggestion was very greatly appreciated. [:  
> Alright then, on to the story!  
> As you all are very aware, suggestions are appreciated, praise for the story is loved, criticism is welcomed. Enjoy. [;  
> *New chapter titles are lyrics from Troye Sivan's song, Touch, though the previous chapter title was my creation. All credit to the wonderful Troye for his amazing song.

** Percy’s POV **

Percy groaned softly, rolling onto his side to evade the bright sun that had filtered through his partially shaded windows, casting strips of light into his room and over him—and just to his luck—straight into his closed eyes, causing an unbearably bright red-seeming light to beam beneath his lids.

The dark haired demigod shifted, frowning as he felt something cool, wet, and sticky sift between his toes, creating quite an uncomfortable feeling if he did say so himself. He wiggled his toes; causing the liquid shift further into his toes and making his eyes snap open due to the agitating sensation. “I just wanted to sleep, is that so much to ask for?” Percy grumbled grouchily as he remembered the various tubs of ice cream he had left out, explaining the wet and sticky substance between his toes. Sitting up lazily, he caused the sheet that had previously been covering his body to slide down, bunching around his bare, honey hued torso.

Percy yawned rather obnoxiously, scratching his chest absently when he soon noticed his torso wasn’t the only thing bare. His gaze quickly shifted to the lower half of his body that was still covered by the deep blue sheet, and he reached for the fabric of the covering, barely restraining himself from squeezing his eyes shut in his trepidation as he lifted the sheet, confirming his theory.

So he _was_ naked. Meaning that he _had_ slept with Nico ( _again_ ) and it wasn’t merely a wet dream as he had stupidly hoped it was, though the younger teen was obviously long gone. A brief image of the young raven haired demigod flashed through his mind; the boy’s expanse of alabaster skin, coupled with sinful mantra’s of his name and a lovely language—none other than Italian—that flowed flawlessly off of his tongue. Percy shuddered pleasurably at the thought. And if that image didn’t solidify his conjecture, the used condom along with Nico’s worn shoe on the floor most definitely did.

Another brief glance beneath the sheet had him sighing heavily; yup, he was definitely in need of a cold shower right now. With that thought in mind, Percy pulled away the sheet, not-so-subtly throwing it over the over the condom and the ratty, black Converse that seemed to mock him, reminding him of his infidelity.

He didn’t know exactly how this had all started. One moment, he and Nico were trading cynical banter, occasionally bumping shoulders to throw one another off of their game as their fingers restlessly moved over the controllers perched between their hands. Then there were lips. And _gods_ if Nico didn’t have the most beautifully wicked lips he had ever laid eyes on. So it was no surprise that he had to feel them against his own, to see if they were as soft and pliant as they looked to be. And that skin, did it taste as good as felt, shifting against his own, tempting him, _teasing_ him?

His questions had all been answered that fateful night more than a few days ago, and he was more than pleased with his findings, that Nico _did_ taste as amazing as he had felt against him, tasted absolutely heavenly in fact, and the sounds he made—the thought was enough to make Percy’s legs turn to jelly as he began standing, making his way over to the bathroom in the back of his cabin.

The son of Poseidon shook his head, attempting to free himself of all thoughts of the stunning son of Hades who wreaked havoc in his mind day after day. He didn’t know what it was about Nico that drew him in, that made him forget everything, _especially_ the fact that he was in a committed relationship.

Nico was danger, he was reckless, a free spirit who roamed wherever he pleased, _did_  whatever he pleased regardless of what was expected of him. He wasn’t afraid to go against the rules, the _gods_ , especially his own father who could probably kill him with just one look. Yes, Nico was everything he wished he could be; he was _freedom_. Freedom from expectations, false pretenses and façades; the younger demigod made Percy forget, all of his troubles disappeared when he was with him, making nothing else matter but _him_.

 _He’ll be the death of me_ , Percy thought, flinching as his eyes landed on a picture of Annabeth that stared at him accusingly from its frame on his bedside table.

And then there was Annabeth. _Annabeth_ ; just her name made him shudder. He reached out, absently running his fingers across the smooth wooden frame, letting them ghost over her beautiful features that made him short of breath whenever she was near.

He loved her. He really did. So why in Zeus’s name was he cheating on her? That was a question even _he_ couldn’t answer. Percy bit down on his lower lip indecisively and slowly pulled his hand back from the frame, his eyes never straying from the image of Annabeth’s smiling face until the guilt was too much to handle. He tore his gaze from the picture, as coils of guilt twisted tightly in his stomach, unyielding in the way they spiraled and turned, unwilling to stop until he let go of his immoral secret.

But he couldn’t do that. He _wouldn’t_. He knew if he told Annabeth, things would be over between them. And he didn’t want that; he needed Annabeth, loved her to the ends of Tartarus and to the peaks of Zeus’s realm and even beyond that. Percy knew he was being selfish, indulging in pleasures from Annabeth and Nico alike, but he didn’t want to let either one go—didn’t want to _hurt_ them. But he knew if it came down to it, without a doubt he would pick—.

Percy blinked, and the thoughts fled with the motion as he heard the fountain gurgling angrily in the corner of his room. The hero frowned, easily approaching the contraption as its gurgling grew louder and louder as each second passed. When he came to a stop before the fountain, Percy’s head tilted to the side, mimicking a confused puppy dog as the fountain suddenly quieted. “That was strange,” he murmured, the words barely out of his mouth for a second before the fountain made one last bubbly sound before the water within exploded, drenching him from head to toe in its warm salt water.

The son of the sea god stood frozen in place, water running down his bare body in small rivulets which eventually consumed others and became larger, causing a tickling sensation to commence on his body, the droplets running faster and faster to the floor, and pooling around his feet. Percy sighed heavily, dropping his head to his chest and causing his thick, dark, wet locks to fall into his face.

What a wonderful start to the morning.

Percy glanced at the clock on his bedside table, his eyes widening slightly as he realized he would have less than ten minutes before Annabeth came to fetch him so that they could walk to the dining pavilion with one another. The older demigod cursed softly, then dashed off to the bathroom, thanking the gods that he was already nude, while simultaneously cursing them for the reason that he was. _Damn Fates_.

Maybe if it had been another time, another place, and he had been _without_ a girlfriend, maybe he and Nico would work. But not now, not when he had almost everything he wished for; a family, a home, safety, and _peace_. Though he knew just one slip up with the son of Hades could have could have his personal utopia come crashing down, he couldn’t resist the younger half-blood. He had tried, and failed; he just couldn’t stay away. It was more than the sex for him, it was _Nico_ and everything the raven haired demigod represented in and of himself. He needed to let Nico go, he just didn’t know _how_ , nor was he exactly sure he wanted to.

A few minutes later, Percy had showered and was dressed in his usually Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and an average pair of jeans, his hair still dripping from his shower. And just in time as well. The son of Poseidon was just pulling on his last shoe when a knock sounded on the other side of a door, one he had come to identify as Annabeth’s. An impulsive smile fell upon his features at just the thought of his girlfriend beyond the door, dressed in nearly the same attire as he, with her luscious blonde hair pulled back into a casual ponytail, with a few strands escaping and tickling her lightly tanned face. Eagerly, Percy pulled open the door to see Annabeth wearing a teasing, easygoing smile, her stormy gray eyes twinkling good naturedly. “Took you long enough, Perce.”

And then the icy feeling of guilt was spreading through the pit of his stomach once more, reminding him of his infidelity as he stared into the face of the one who he had betrayed, the one who didn’t deserve his infidelity—the one _he_ didn’t deserve. “Percy?” Annabeth’s blonde brows scrunched together worriedly as Percy’s face pinched tight, as if he were in pain.

“Seaweed Brain? You ok—.”

Before she could even finish her statement, Percy surged forward, grasping her face between his calloused hands and drawing her near until their lips met. He kissed her slowly, lovingly, while all the while fiercely, not pulling away until he had her gasping for breath against his moist lips, her warm breath tempting him to steal another kiss. And he did just that. He kissed her until he was sure her lips were bruised from all of the careful attention he laying upon them, until he was sure the whole camp would know what they had been doing before reporting to breakfast.

When he finally pulled away, he kept his hands clasped on her face, his thumbs running along her velvety skin soothingly. He kept his forehead pressed to hers, basking in _her_. Just her. Her presence did that to him, and he was terrified to lose it. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips, reveling in the daughter of Athena’s stuttered breath at his uttered words.

“Annabeth, I _love_ you,” he murmured, desperately begging her to believe him as he knew she wouldn’t if she ever found out what he had done, what he was _doing_.

Annabeth laughed breathlessly, tickling his moist lips with the action and making them tingle pleasurably. “I love you too, Perseus Jackson.”

Percy smiled, his lips brushing against hers with the movement, and his dread of losing her lost for the time being—hazed over by the words she had previously spoken. Annabeth opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could even get the words out, the duo jumped apart upon hearing a door slam shut. Instantaneously the two turned towards where the sound originated to see a quite bedraggled looking son of Hades shuffling down the pathway of his cabin. The boy’s inky colored brows were slammed down, his face scrunched with barely contained contempt, making the dark bags under his eyes more prominent than before. Percy nearly took a step back at the look on Nico’s face, wondering who would have the gall to put the moody teen in such a state.

His question was soon after answered as he heard a door shut much more quietly than Nico’s had, and he turned to see a well-rested Jason Grace step out of his cabin, a stoic look befalling his sculpted features as he and the raven haired half-blood caught one another’s gazes. The two stared at each other for some time, Percy and Annabeth fidgeting at the intensity in their eyes until Jason merely raised a golden blonde brow, then turned, breaking Nico’s gaze as he began nonchalantly strolling down the path towards the pavilion, hands in his pockets, and leaving behind a fuming demigod.

Percy thanked nearly every god he knew that he wasn’t on the other side of Nico’s anger as the young demigod stormed after the son of Jupiter, growling loudly enough for couple just outside of Cabin 3 to hear. Percy watched, fixated as Nico grabbed onto to Jason’s bicep without hesitation, and whirling the older teen around to face him. “What’s going on…?” Annabeth muttered, as if afraid the volume of her voice would draw Nico’s anger to her.

“I wish I knew,” Percy murmured back in response as he watched Nico’s free hand move animatedly, his expression seeming to darken with every word spoken. Jason simply shook his arm out of Nico’s grip, said a few words—calmly stated if his expression was anything to go by. When Jason finished speaking, he turned even as Nico was still speaking to him, causing the dark haired demigod’s jaw to slacken in surprise by the action.

Then his face shifted from shock, to offense, to extreme fury as he clenched his fists by his side, rushing off after the former praetor. “Jason Grace, don’t you dare run off on me when I’m speaking to you!” Nico yelled, and Percy heard Annabeth snort amusedly as the son of Hades momentarily forgot his tame attitude as he shouted out curses at the Roman, who purely continued walking as if death wasn’t on his heels—no pun intended.

“Jason!”

“Jason, I know you can hear me.”

“You stupid bastard, _listen to me_!”

“Who the hell do you think you are to walk away from me like that?”

“JASON!”

Percy’s eyes widened as each curse got more and more creative the longer the son of Jupiter ignored the young hero. Soon enough, he was only able to hear the faint shouts of the son of Hades as the discombobulated duo neared the pavilion.

Percy couldn’t help but crack a grin as he watched Annabeth finally give in to the hilarity of the situation. The daughter of Athena doubled over, delighted laughs spilling from her lips and filling Percy with a sense of giddy joy. “That—was—one—of the _best_ —things I have seen in my life!” Annabeth gasped out from between laughs, the force of her laughter making her snort loudly, and still she only continued.

At the sound of the first snort, Percy lost it as well, laughing alongside his girlfriend at the situation that had just unfolded before them. When their laughter was reduced to sporadic giggles and their eyes had been wiped free of joyous tears, the couple made their way to the dining pavilion, their hands clasped together comfortingly as they recounted the encounter between Jason and Nico, trying to smother their laughter beneath their free hands and tightly pressed lips.

When the twosome entered the dining pavilion, nearly everyone was speaking in hushed voices, and going out of their way to avoid that lone boy sitting at the Hades’ table while all the while casting curious glances in Jason’s direction. Nico’s brooding expression mirrored that of his father’s almost perfectly, the younger teen’s full lips thinned into a harsh, straight line. Percy spared a glance at Zeus’s table, were Jason sat, his face a mask of nonchalance even though his eyes screamed sadness. At first, Percy thought it was because of his and Nico’s fight, but he merely became more confused as he watched the son of Jupiter cast a longing glance towards the Aphrodite table where the blonde’s girlfriend sat, either oblivious to his stares or completely ignoring them.

Huh, maybe they got into a fight or something. The thought of Jason and Piper fighting left Percy feeling uncomfortable, while the thought of the former praetor and the son of Hades fighting left him feeling rather…smug. The green-eyed hero nearly cringed at the thought, holding onto his girlfriend’s hand much more tightly than before. Though he didn’t hate Jason, he wasn’t rather fond of him at the moment, seeing as the blonde Roman _had_ punched him in the face; he believed he had a rather solid reason for his dislike of the former praetor. But he knew it was more than that. The white hot feeling that sprung into his chest was more than contempt for Jason’s violence against him. And though he was reluctant to admit it, he knew he was completely and utterly jealous of Jason and Nico’s friendship.

It was something he couldn’t help. Just the thought of Jason and Nico together the way he and the son of Hades had been made his jaw clench tightly, nearly blinded by the force of his jealousy, though he believed the younger teen when he had said that they were merely friends. Though he constantly kept that thought in mind to placate his jealously, it most definitely didn’t help we he had found out Jason and Nico were much closer than he had originally thought, closer than even _he_ and Nico were due to the fact that they were close on an emotional level while he and the Italian were closer on a physical level than an emotional level. “— _Ow Percy!_ ”

Percy snapped out of his stupor, turning to see Annabeth struggling to get her hand out of his vice like grip on her own without hurting _him_ like she could have chosen to do. The son of the sea god immediately released her hand when her face contorted in slight pain. “I-I’m sorry,” he rushed out, bringing the hand Annabeth was critically inspecting to his lips, pressing soft kisses along her skin. “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he murmured after every kiss.

“Okay, okay, Perce. People are starting to stare.”

Percy grinned triumphantly at the light blush that had stolen over Annabeth’s cheeks, making her skin glow rather healthily. Percy pressed one last kiss to her palm, making sure to linger while also keeping eyes trained on Annabeth’s feather gray ones. “Peter Jones and Anastasia Chandler, what did I tell you two about—what do mortals call it nowadays? Ah, yes— _PDA_?”

Percy groaned softly, squeezing his eyes shut tightly before he reopened them, catching Nico’s dark gaze in the process, and easily missing all of Mr. D’s rant on “premarital touching”. As soon as their eyes had met, the son of Hades tore his gaze away, his body much more tense than it had been before. Another load of guilt dropped onto his already burdened shoulders. “Parker Johansson, are you listening to me?”

The son of Poseidon dropped Annabeth’s hand unceremoniously and turned, walking in the direction of his table, his anger with himself flaring all the while. “No, I’m not.”

There was a hushed chuckled around the pavilion, along with a few quiet gasps from the newer campers, who were surprised to see a mere demigod standing up to a god—not to mention one of the twelve Olympians. Well, they had better get used to it. Dionysus—who was used to this by now—simply grunted. “Is that so? Well then, I expect every canoe in the lake to be cleaned before lunch, and while you’re at it, there’s a rogue water nymph terrorizing the lake naiads, see that you do away with it.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Percy plopped down at the seat of his table, burying his head in his folded arms casually.

“Percy,” Chiron chided gently, and the sound of his hooves against the marble floor had Percy stiffening as they grew closer.

The dark haired demigod studiously ignored Chiron’s presence, remaining silent when the centaur patiently waiting to hear what was getting him down. “Perc—.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” he grumbled, lifting his head from his arms to flash Chiron a completely forced smile. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

Chiron’s dark brows rose dubiously, but he nodded nonetheless. “I shall try and get Mr. D to lighten your punishment.”

“No, it’s fine. You know he won’t do it anyway.”

If he was being honest, Percy just wanted some time to himself, to try and get his thoughts in order before he had to face both Annabeth and Nico—not at the same time of course, that would just be _hella_ awkward.

Chiron nodded, the clopped off in the direction of he and Mr. D’s table as the nymphs began serving breakfast.

~*~

** Nico’s POV **

Nico was pissed. No, he was _furious_ and he wanted nothing more to summon his little pet zoo of dead animals and release them on upon a certain son of Jupiter. To say Jason had been weird after _sniffing_ him was completely off; the blonde was being an _ass_. And what was worse, he wouldn’t even tell Nico what he had done. The Roman had simply walked—no _stormed_ , and even stomped was appropriate—out of his cabin, giving him the excuse that he just felt like sleeping in his own cabin that night.

And Nico would have believed him too, if the older demigod hadn’t completely shut down, all sentiment in his face and voice washing away, leaving behind nothing more than a pair of electric blue eyes that utterly _screamed_ an emotion he couldn’t put a finger on. And if that wasn’t rude enough, he had completely brushed Nico off, snapping at him when he got too close to his person. After _Jason_ had just snuffled him; right in the crook of his neck!

Nico shuddered at the remembrance of the sensation, Jason’s nose brushing across the skin of his neck, making the young demigod’s breath stall in his lungs. And if that wasn’t enough, the simple, barely there brush of Jason’s lips across his neck—more than likely accidental—nearly made Nico’s legs turn to jelly. Then the son of Jupiter had the _guts_ to storm out on him when _he_ should have been the one who was doing the storming.

And it wasn’t only the fact that Jason had ditched him—no—it was more of the fact that he couldn’t get the thought of Jason’s touch out of his head, his body continuously tingling with the sensations, despite how simple and miniscule they were. He didn’t _want_ the sensations Jason caused him, he only wanted Percy’s. And he absolutely detested Jason for making his body tingle with sensations Percy didn’t cause.

Nico had lain awake that night, his previous encounter with Percy momentarily forgotten as he reluctantly recounted Jason’s every touch, wondering when it had become that… _pleasurable_. Now, he wouldn’t lie and say he had never thought about Jason in a more than platonic manner, but could anyone really blame him? Jason was more than handsome, and to top it all off, the Roman had a great personality that one wouldn’t suspect due to his overly dashing looks. And he had _kissed_ that; now, he may not have remembered it happening, but that didn’t mean he didn’t think about it.

Nico felt his face heating at the thought. _No_ , he didn’t dream about kissing Jason, he had just wondered what it was like, the same way one wondered what the gods looked like in their true forms. Not as detrimental to his health, but dangerous to ponder nonetheless. Although, his mind didn’t seem to pick up on that little fact.

But kissing Jason was the _last_ thing on his mind, especially when the son of Jupiter was studiously ignoring him, not sparing him even the slightest of glances. And for what, because of the quick snuffle of his neck? Did he really stink that badly? Nico groaned softly, dropping his head into his waiting hands. What he could really use right now was his sister. Not Bianca, though he still loved her and held her closely to his heart, but _Hazel_. Though the topic of anything overly intimate had the golden eyed girl flushing to the tips of her cinnamon colored, curly hair. But despite that, she would be of great help, putting beside her discomfort selflessly just to help her older brother.

But what would he say to her?

 _Hey, Hazel, do you think we could talk, I’m sort of having guy troubles. Okay, well here it is; so I slept with Percy—yes, regardless of the fact that he and Annabeth are still dating—and it’s happened multiple times but I just don’t know what to do. Oh yeah! And while I was at it, I kinda jumped Jason and begged him to…_ fuck _me shamelessly. As a result, he and Piper broke up. Can you help me, sis?_

Yeah, no. That was never happening.

Nico glanced over at Jason who had wandered over to where Leo stood after breakfast, his hands in his pockets and his blue eyes trained on the ground almost shyly as he spoke too quietly for Nico to hear. After Jason had finished speaking, Leo merely clapped him on the shoulder and shrugged, his impish smile taking over his features as his mouth moved at a mile a minute, his light brown eyes twinkling excitedly. Jason slowly smiled in return, pushing Leo away good naturedly when the son of Hephaestus probably said something ridiculous.

Leo pointed in the direction of the forges, his voice a barely there murmur amongst the voices of the other campers, and Nico nearly gave up on listening in on their conversation until Leo pointed at him. Nico stood frozen in place as Jason turned to look at him, his electric blue eyes colliding with his own deep brown. Internally, the son of Hades cursed himself as he felt his heart begin to thump loudly in his chest, whether it was from anticipation or his anger at the older teen, he wasn’t sure. But what he did know, what that his heart seemed to stutter in his chest when Jason turned away from him disinterestedly with a dismissive shrug, and then he and Leo were walking away, leaving behind a stung son of the Underworld.

Nico swallowed with some difficulty and turned sharply on his heel, quickly moving through the crowd of campers dispersing to different activities. What did he _do_? If Jason would just tell him, he would do anything to fix it. Didn’t the son of Jupiter get that? Nico dropped his head, allowing his obsidian locks to fall into his eyes, unhindered by his impulsive hands that always shoved the thick strands back. He didn’t want Jason to be upset with him, but what could he do if the older demigod was insistent upon ignoring him?

Before long, Jason would be just like the other campers, ignoring him and barely tolerating his presence. _You’re overreacting_ , Nico chided himself as he approached the lake, inhaling the fresh smell as a light breeze swept over him, slightly calming his rogue emotions. “Nico?”

The boy in question turned to see Percy watching him quizzically from the innards of a canoe that was settled a few feet up the shore. Nico silently cursed the fates, who obviously had it in for him—they were probably still upset with him for bringing Hazel back from the Underworld when her time had been deemed as over. “…Hey.”

Percy climbed out of the canoe, dropping a fairly large, dirty rag to the ground as he approached the younger teen. “What’s up?”

Nico needed to go. He and Percy _never_ simply talked, it always turned into something more, whether he wanted it to or not. “Nothing. I…I’m just gonna go, you’re busy—.”

“Actually, I was just taking a break. Come sit with me?”

Nico considered turning the older teen down, making up an excuse that he had somewhere to be, but in reality, he actually didn’t. The most useful thing he could do at the moment was sit in his cabin and sulk, or find Jason and demand that he tell him what he had done wrong, just to brushed off and made a fool of in front of other campers. _Or_ , he could sit here a try to have something more than just a physical relationship with Percy. “Sure.”

Nico knew he didn’t only agree _just_ to have something more in regards to his relationship with Percy, no, he knew deep down he was doing this to spite Jason, who would probably have a cow if he found out he was even in close proximity with the son of the sea god. Well, he had no right to care if he was going to completely disregard the son of Hades. And besides, Jason wasn’t Nico’s keeper, if he wanted to hang out with Percy, he could do just that.

So with that thought in mind, he followed behind Percy to the boating dock. Percy sat down on the edge of the dock, his bare feet dangling in the lake and drawing forth a few young, mischievous water nymphs who attempted to drag the older hero into the lake. They were deterred from their task when Percy gave them a reprimanding look, and they disappeared into the depths of the water with a few disappointed gurgling noises. Nico settled himself a little further from the edge, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his head on the peaks of his knees.

“So,” Percy started casually, swinging his feet lightly and sporadically, splashing up the pristine water.

“So?” he muttered in response, transfixed by the various shapes the water took each time it caught air.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Nico’s gaze was immediately snatched from the motion of the ever moving water and to the dark haired demigod before him. “It” meant many things. When people usually asked him if he wanted to talk about _it_ , they usually always meant the death of his sister, his mother, his relationship with his father, and being trapped in the Lotus Hotel and Casino—things such as that. But with _Percy_ , it could mean so much more. _It_ could be the events that took place last night and over the past week or so, _it_ could mean his feelings on the matter, _it_ could also mean—“Nico?”

Nico blinked absently. “Huh?”

Percy smiled patiently, running a hand through his shaggy locks. “Do you want to talk about it,” he repeated, tipping his head to the side slightly.

“What do you mean by ‘it’?” Nico finally asked, after a moment of trying to get his voice to work.

“I mean whatever it is that has you walking around pouting—.”

“I _do not_ pout.”

Percy’s brows rose, and he snorted lightly. “Sure you don’t,” he deadpanned, opening his mouth to continue speaking.

But Nico beat him to it. “I don’t.”

“You do too. You’ve been walking around all morning like this…” Percy scrunched his brows together, then poked out his lower lip petulantly.

Nico elbowed Percy in the side, making the older teen lose his ridiculous face quickly. “Whatever.”

Percy smiled down at Nico once again, his green eyes sparkling happily. “So do you?”

“Nope.”

“Does it have anything to do with why you were screaming at Jason this morning?”

Nico felt his face heating up, and he knew a blush was dusting over his cheeks at that very moment. “Someone told you about it?”

“No, I actually _heard_ it.”

Nico winced, immediately averting his gaze out of embarrassment. “He must have really made you mad, to have the calm, complacent, Nico di Angelo screaming at the top of his lungs,” Percy whistled to accentuate his words, “I’m just glad it wasn’t me who made you upset. So what did he do?”

Nico simply shrugged, watching a tethered canoe bob on the surface of the lake with every move the water made. “You know you can talk to me right?” Percy said softly, so softly that he had Nico’s attention on him once more. “I know things can get really awkward between us because of…what’s going on, but no matter what happens, I just want you to know that I’m always here for you, okay?”

The son of Hades stared at Percy, awed and at a loss for words. Even if he _had_ something to say, he wouldn’t be able to get it out seeing as his throat had begun closing with an emotion he could only identify as relief. “Okay?” Percy repeated, reaching out and brushing the backs of his fingers over Nico’s cheek tenderly.

Nico nodded quickly, trying to swallow past the lump that had lodged itself in his throat for the time being. “Now,” Percy began, clasping the back of Nico’s neck loosely, and running his fingers through his dark strands of hair comfortingly, “Will you please tell me what’s wrong?”

Nico hesitated for a mere moment before he nodded, his mouth opening and shutting for a moments before he found words. “I…Jason is upset with me.”

Percy’s brows rose skeptically. “ _He’s_ mad at _you_.”

“Yeah,” Nico sighed, fiddling with a small hole on the knee of his jeans absently as Percy continued with his comforting ministrations, the tips of his fingers occasionally running over the younger teens scalp and nearly making him shudder with bliss. “I know it doesn’t look that way, but he is.”

“So why were you yelling at him then?”

“Because he won’t _tell_ me why he’s unhappy with me.” Nico’s brows knotted with irritation at his own words.

“How come?”

Nico shrugged as Percy scooted closer, pressing against his side lightly. “Well that’s…”

“Childish?” Nico supplied dryly.

“Exactly.” Nico felt more than saw Percy nod in agreement to his words. “I’ve never known Jason to be that way.”

“Well you two aren’t exactly _close_ ,” Nico scoffed, sparing a look up at Percy, “He did punch you in the face.”

Percy’s hand tightened around Nico’s neck lightly, not because of what Nico had said, but in an attempt for Nico to hear him out as he spoke. “I deserved it, I guess.”

Nico looked up once more, appalled. “How so?”

Percy, who had been studying the waters absently, turned to look down at him dubiously. “I _bloodied your nose_ , Nico.”

“But I already forgave you, and besides, that was the past.”

“I know, but Jason didn’t, and he doesn’t see it the same way as you do.”

Nico’s brows arched critically, “He doesn’t have to, and it isn’t his place to reprimand you in situations like that. It’s mine.”

“You may think so, but he’s your friend. He’s always looking out for you, and I overstepped a boundary; I guess he believed it was his place to put me back.”

“But—.”

“I would have done the same thing if it was the other way around,” Percy’s hand loosened his hold on Nico’s neck in favor of trailing his fingers up and down the pale expanse of his skin. “He’s a protective friend, I get that, I respect it, even if he’s not particularly my favorite person right now.”

Nico mulled over Percy’s words, before he spoke. “So that’s an excuse for him to be an ass to me?”

Percy snorted. “Of course not. I never said that.”

“You kind of implied it.”

“I did not, or at least I didn’t mean to,” Percy sighed, “Look, you two will work things out, I’m sure this isn’t the first argument you two have had.”

He was right. Things with Jason always worked themselves out, but how would this particular argument work out if he didn’t even know what the root of the problem was? Nico let out a troubled breath, then locked eyes with Percy. “I left my shoe in your cabin.”

Percy was silent for all of two seconds before he let out an amused laugh, his eyes squinting in delight. “What?” Nico asked, making Percy laugh even harder. “What did I say?”

“You…you just—,” Percy’s words fell off as his laughter strengthened, his half lidded eyes glistening with mirth.

“Percy,” Nico grumbled, when the older teen continued his laughter, furthering his confusion.

“It’s just…you looked so _serious_ , the last thing expected you to talk about was your shoe.”

Nico huffed. “Well for your information, I happen to like that shoe very much.”

“ _Why_?”

“Because it’s mine.”

“But it’s all…battered.”

The son of Hades scoffed, apparently offended. “It is not. It’s just very well loved is all.”

Percy snorted, his laughter evident in his smile even as it had died down moments ago. “You need new shoes. Next time I visit my mom, I’ll get you a new pair. What’s your size?”

“I don’t _want_ new shoes,” Nico muttered, ignoring the older teen’s question.

“But you need them.”

“I have plenty of shoes.”

“Then why don’t you wear them?”

“Because I like _that_ pair.”

Percy merely shook his head and looked at him expectantly. “Come on; just tell me your shoe size.”

“No,” Nico stated, looking up at Percy stubbornly.

“Please?” Percy smiled charmingly, removing his fingers from Nico’s neck in order to clasp his hands before him pleadingly.

Nico snorted, fighting the smile that was attempting to make itself known on his face. “Nope.”

“Pwetty please? With cherries, and hot fudge, and whipped cream on top?” Percy poked out his lower lip, and widening his eyes innocently.

“ _No_ ,” the corners of Nico’s lips began curling up into a small smile.

Percy unclasped his hands as his face fell dissatisfiedly. “Fine then, I’ll just have to get it myself.”

That was the only warning Nico got before he was on forced onto his back, his feet momentarily taken hostage by the son of Poseidon, who was searching the soles for the size. “Come on, come on, come on,” the older teen muttered, a devious smile plastered on his lips.

“Percy! Let _go_ ,” Nico squirmed, getting a single foot out of the older hero’s grasp and using his leverage to try and shimmy away.

“Be still, Nico, I’m busy,” Percy chastised teasingly, lifting the younger demigod’s foot higher into the air as he rose up on his knees. “Is that a _six_ I see? No, I think it might be a five.”

Nico’s struggles doubled, until he felt his free foot connect with something solid. Percy immediately dropped Nico’s foot in favor of clasping his jaw. “ _Ouch_.”

Nico scrambled up to his knees, his eyes widening as he realized what he had done. “Oh gods, I’m sorry.”

“You have one strong kick,” Percy grunted as Nico drew closer, his eyes fixed on the area the older teen’s hands covered.

“Move your hands.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“ _Percy_ , move your hands,” Nico mumbled absently, as he attempted to pry the older half-blood’s hands from his jaw.

“I’m—.”

Nico pulled sharply on a strand of Percy’s hair, making the son of Poseidon’s hands fly from his jaw and to his head, where he rubbed his scalp soothingly. “ _Ow_?!” he complained pointedly, his brows furrowed.

“You’ll be fine,” Nico murmured, assessing the damage on Percy’s jaw. There was a bright red, blooming bruise that made the younger demigod wince as he was reminded that he was the one who caused it. “Hold on.”

Nico scrambled to the side of the pier, cautiously leaning over the side and scooping up and handful of the sparkling water. He carefully shifted over to Percy’s side, tipping the whining teen’s head up to dribble the water over the bruise. Much to his relief, it gradually disappeared, leaving Percy’s tanned skin unmarred once more. “It still hurts,” Percy moaned woundedly, making Nico’s brow furrow with concern.

“Really?”

Percy nodded, watching the younger teen through wide, innocent eyes. “Will you kiss it and make it better?”

Nico, now realizing Percy’s ulterior motive, shoved the older teen away who had begun snickering triumphantly. “Faker,” the younger demigod accused, making sure his shoes were on his feet securely before he stood.

Percy stood as well, surveying the tethered canoes. “I think I’m done here.”

“I thought you were on break?” Nico asked skeptically.

The son of the sea god shrugged. “I was, now I decided that I’m done.”

“You haven’t even finished yet.”

“And I don’t plan on it,” Percy smiled at him wickedly, “You thoroughly distracted me, and now you expect me to get back to work?”

Nico opened his mouth to retort, but Percy beat him to the punch. “Don’t answer that,” he said dryly, then he took the younger hero’s hand and began leading him towards the cabins.

“Where do you think you’re taking me?” Nico ignored the pleasurable feeling of holding hands with the older teen—especially in public—and tried to pry his hand from Percy’s grip.

“To my cabin of course; you’re going to help me clean up before inspection,” Percy grinned down at him, then focused on the path ahead of him.

Nico scoffed derisively. “Who said I was doing _that_?”

“I did. I mean, it is kind of your fault there’s melted ice cream all over my floor in the first place.”

“How is it my fault?”

“Um, you kind of made me _forget_ about the ice cream last night, seeing as I was focused on something else entirely.”

Anything Nico had prepared to say was lost as he stuttered incoherently, his face taking on the color of cotton candy. “Matter of fact, now that I think about it, you’re quite the distraction Nico,” Percy continued, oblivious to the mortification rising within the younger teen. “You know, you should speak Italian more often, it’s pretty hot.”

“Shush,” Nico grumbled, as he and Percy stopped before the door of Cabin 3.

“Will you _please_ help me clean?” Percy pleaded, fixing Nico with glittering sea green eyes.

Just as Nico began to answer, he heard familiar voices nearing him and Percy’s location. _Jason and Leo_ , his mind supplied him as he caught sight of golden blonde hair. Inwardly, Nico knew why he did it, and he just couldn’t stop himself. It was spiteful, immature even, but it made him feel _so_ triumphant, so he did it. _It_ meaning, he reached out, wrapping his arms around Percy’s muscled torso and pressing his head to his chest. Percy, ignorant of his motives, wrapped his arms around Nico’s small frame and buried his face in the younger teen’s raven locks, pressing a subtle kiss to his head.

Nico felt more than saw Jason come to a stop when he caught side of the embracing duo, his jovial tone halting abruptly. “Superman?” Leo’s voice was low and unsure as he spoke to his best friend, “What’s wrong?”

To Percy’s credit, he didn’t even release Nico, merely hugged him tighter to his person, nuzzling his face into the boy’s hair. “Nico,” Jason’s voice crackled like a whip through the air, making the son of Hades stiffen in Percy’s arms.

Though he had done this completely out of malice, he didn’t wasn’t very keen on pushing his luck with the probably seething son of Jupiter. That being said, his squeezed Percy lightly and pulled away from the older teen who reluctantly let him go. Nico turned to see Jason watching him emotionlessly, his bright blue eyes never leaving his dark brown orbs. “Come with me,” Jason said stoically, then turned abruptly, storming over to his cabin stiffly.

Nico rolled his eyes, and turned to glance at Percy, giving the older teen a look that told him he’d be fine. Percy watched him carefully for a moment before he nodded, then opened the door to his cabin, slipping inside. Leo, who had been confusedly watching the scene unfold hurriedly walked away with a mumbled excuse. Nico rushed along the path from Percy’s cabin to Jason’s, warily pushing open the cracked door when he reached his destination. “Jason?”

The teen in question was standing at the far corner of the room, leaning against the wall with his muscular arms crossed over his chest tensely, his eyes hidden by his blonde lashes due to the fact that his eyes were fixed on the ground. “Come in.”

Nico cautiously did as he was told, closing the door behind him lightly. “How come you never listen to me?” Jason began, looking up from the floor and pining Nico with his icy gaze.

“I do listen to—.”

“No, you don’t,” Jason pushed off of the wall and slowly began approaching the younger demigod, “I’ve told you multiple times that Percy is going to cause you nothing but heartache, and yet you go out of your way to ignore my advice.”

“More like your demands,” Nico snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I’m not a baby Jason; you’re _not_ my father, and I don’t need protecting. I can do as I please.”

Jason shook his head irritably. “You’ll be wishing you listened to me when you come sobbing to me about how much you ‘wish you didn’t love Percy’,” the older teen said dryly.

“If it’s that much of a burden, I’ll just stop coming to you, is that what you want?” Nico growled out, “And besides, this is the first time I’ve seen him since _you punched him in the face_.”

“You’re such a liar!” Jason nearly mused to himself, laughing harshly. “Do you really want to know why I’m upset with you?”

“Obviously—.”

“Because after everything we’ve been through, everything I’ve _done_ for you, you’re _still_ lying to me!”

Nico’s breath stalled in his lungs. “L-Lying?”

“Yes, _lying_ , I know you didn’t only go to the Hecate cabin yesterday. Yeah, I talked to Ava, and she made me aware that you stormed from her cabin after she helped you with a problem that had absolutely _nothing_ to do with a cure to the Aphrodisiac,” Jason hissed out from between clenched teeth, stopping when he stood in front of the younger half-blood.

“I-I don’t know what y-you’re talking about,” Nico stuttered out, his heart racing in his chest at being found out.

“And you’re lying again,” Jason said wryly. “How am I supposed to trust you if you can’t even tell me something as simple as _where you were_ yesterday and why you came back practically drenched in Percy’s scent?!”

“I…I—.”

“What, you’ve run out of lies to tell? Should we have an intermission so that you can come up with some more?”

Jason’s eyes burned with betrayal, and Nico could barely stop himself from wincing at the cold look in his eyes that had replaced the usual look of trust that were contained within his bright orbs whenever the older teen looked at him. “So you don’t trust me anymore?” Nico managed, his voice hoarse and shaky.

“How can you expect me to when you constantly keep lying to me?” Jason inquired.

“I haven’t lied about anything that truly mattered—.”

“It doesn’t make a difference—.”

“For Hades’ sake, would you stop cutting me off and let me explain?!” Nico shouted, his fists clenching at his sides.

“Why should I, so that you can lie to me again? I think I’ll pass,” Jason responded, his volume matching Nico’s.

“You act as if _you’ve_ never lied to me before, like you’ve never lied _period_! As if you’re the perfect Jason Grace everyone thinks you are. Here’s a little fact you might want to take into consideration; _you’re not_. You’re just as fucked up as I am, and I’m guessing that’s why Piper won’t get back together with you!” Nico yelled, far beyond the point of caring whether or not he hurt Jason.

The son of Jupiter stepped back, looking as if he had been slapped. He pointed to the door with a shaky hand. “Out. Get out.”

Nico stood his ground obstinately. “You’re such an ass—.”

“ _Get out!_ ” Jason nearly screamed, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. “Leave. And you know what? Don’t come back.”

Nico stood frozen for a second, not really comprehending what this all meant, but despite that, he move towards the exit, yanking open the door and marching out, letting it slam shut behind him. He glanced in the direction of his cabin, then immediately disregarded that option, choosing instead to continue forward until he stood before Percy’s door, his fist rapping on the wood quickly and firmly. Less than five seconds later, the door swung open, revealing a curious son of Poseidon whose expression immediately changed to concern as he took in the younger teen’s appearance. “Nico? Are oka—?”

“Is Annabeth here?” Nico asked, cutting across the older teen. His words were curt and terse, a serious expression fixed upon his face.

Percy arched a brow, his eyes roaming over Nico’s slightly disheveled appearance, and his eyes widening slightly when he evidently saw the fury brewing in the younger teen’s dark orbs. “No, she’s not. Why do you a—?”

“Good,” and with that, Nico surged forward, smashing his lips to Percy’s and clutching at the older demigod’s shoulder furiously, and _desperately_.

Percy made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, but pulled Nico flush against his body despite his shock, and soon after pulled the younger half-blood into the privacy of his cabin, slamming the door shut behind them.

All the while, the two half-bloods were oblivious to the pair of light brown orbs that were fixated upon them—and now the closed door—after unintentionally stumbling upon the scene, shock evident in their ochre depths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for those of you who didn't know PDA stands for Public Displays of Affection. That was probably a very unnecessary explanation, but what does one say after a very wicked cliffhanger?  
> Questions, concerns, or even suggestions you would rather supply to me personally? Email me at Moment4Life.AO3@outlook.com


	10. The Silence is Ringing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He knew he had willingly let himself become what he had desperately wanted to avoid being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting quite better at updating regularly if I do say so myself. [;  
> Again, new chapter titles are lyrics of Troye Sivan's "Touch", I do not own them at all.  
> But I do own my original character, Dionysia, who will be making an appearance in this chapter.  
> Please remember, if you'd ever like to use her, email me at Moment4Life.AO3@outlook.com  
> Thanks again for all of the comments, kudos, bookmarks, and merely reading my story. It means lots.<3  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are a appreciated, and criticism is welcome.  
> Enjoy. [:

** Nico’s POV **

“I have to go,” Nico whispered, attempting to extract himself from Percy’s tanned arms.

“Why?” the son of Poseidon breathed out, pulling Nico firmly back to his warm, muscled chest, trailing his fingers over the younger teen’s exposed collarbone. “We still have about an hour until lunch begins. Stay.”

Nico didn’t want to stay. He wanted more than anything to remove himself from Percy’s grip and from this devilish cabin. He wanted to go to his own cabin and scrub himself clean until his skin was red and raw from his determined cleaning. And even more than that, he wanted Jason. He wanted to throw himself in the son of Jupiter’s comforting arms and apologize over and over again until the blonde had no other choice but to forgive him. But he couldn’t do that. Not anymore.

The younger demigod shivered as Percy’s lips brushed over his earlobe, nipping the skin there daringly, _suggestively_. “I-I can’t,” Nico stuttered out, fighting against the pleasure Percy wrought upon him, not for the first time this week. “I need to—.”

“Stay with me,” Percy finished in a low, husky murmur, his lips sliding from Nico’s lobe and to the sensitive area behind his ear, making the younger demigod shudder reluctantly.

Nico couldn’t stop the gasp that was forced from his lips as Percy’s hand found its way down to his bare groin, his lips mapping out the expanse of the younger teen’s alabaster skin. “Stay with me,” Percy repeated, more insistently this time, easily flipping Nico onto his back and hovering over him, eventually shimmying his was between the younger half-blood’s shaky legs.

“Let’s do it again,” Percy muttered, lifting his head until his lips ghosted over Nico’s, his warm breath dusting over the boy’s already flushed skin.

“For me?” Percy trailed his fingertips down Nico’s bare torso, barely brushing his fingers over the boy’s chest as making him whimper pleasurably.

Nico ran his tongue over his lips, swallowing heavily when his throat suddenly became dry. “W-We’ve already done it twice already. Isn’t that enough?”

Percy made a sound akin to a purr in the back of his throat, focusing on suckling at the skin of the younger teen’s neck, undoubtedly leaving another mark, seeing as he had become rather fond of making them once again; the evidence was littered over the expanse of the young half-blood’s neck and chest, like a brand that made him feel more like a possession than anything else. “I just can’t get enough of you.”

Nico felt his skin become twice as hot as before, the temperature almost unbearable as he almost unwillingly relaxed in Percy’s ministrations. “Okay,” he said softly, turning and baring his neck to let the older half-blood get to the skin there effortlessly.

“But this is the last time for today,” Nico finished, his voice quivering as Percy grasped his previously flaccid length that was now hardening as a result of the skilled touches placed upon his skin.

Percy hummed his agreement distantly, and Nico let his lips part hesitantly as he felt the other’s tongue trace his lower lip languidly, no longer able to find it within himself to object to the older teen’s advances. And so he surrendered to Percy’s sinful kisses, his heated touches, and his sultry words.

~*~

Nico slid out of Cabin 3, casting a look around the area before he closed the door quietly, beginning his daily walk-of-shame back to his own lodgings.

What was wrong with him? He was beginning to think he had no shame whatsoever, letting Percy have his way with him, then make up some excuse about why he needed to leave. Yesterday it was that Annabeth would be there soon and he needed to clean up. Today, the son of Poseidon was supposedly training some of the younger campers in the arena, but Nico was no silly, ditzy slut that Percy may have believed him to be. Percy’s lessons didn’t start until after lunch, lunch that Nico should have been heading to right now. But he wasn’t hungry; he couldn’t eat right now, especially if he knew it would all just come back up. He knew if Jason were here, he would have forced him to eat with embarrassing ease. Just one smile from the blonde and his defenses were falling, crashing down with every second they spent together.

Jason. _Jason_. It had been a week and a few days since his face off with Jason. Eleven days to be exact. Two hundred and seventy-five hours and forty-two minutes; he couldn’t even deny that he had been counting. Two hundred and seventy-five hours and forty- _three_ minutes since he swore he would try and distance himself from Percy, his heart hurting every time he saw the older teen doting upon his girlfriend while he was forced to stay in the shadows, rarely addressed by the son of the sea god when in public. Two hundred and seventy-five hours and forty- _four_ minutes since he found himself constantly running back to Percy, desperate for some form of affection, even if that same affection would cause him heartache later.

And nearly a third (and probably even more) of those hours were spent with Percy—more like _under_ him, or even on top of him. Every day since that fateful moment with Jason, Nico found himself back in Percy’s bed, never objecting when the son of the sea god pulled him aside at sporadic moments “to talk”.

That was always Percy’s excuse; he wanted to _talk_. Nico wasn’t stupid, he knew better. He knew he had willingly let himself become what he had desperately wanted to avoid being; a sex outlet. Simply there when Percy wanted to fuck, and tossed aside as soon as they were done.

For eleven days it had been this way. Not just once a day, no, at the minimum _three times_. Nico bit down on his lower lip and cast a regretful look towards Zeus’s cabin, turning away when he felt as if the sight itself was mocking him, reminding him of what he had done. It had been eleven days since his blowout with Jason. Eleven days since he had spoken to the “Golden Boy”. Eleven days since Jason had practically destroyed his cabin, wrought unintentional havoc upon the camp, and turned the looming statue of Zeus to royal rubble. It had been eleven days since the son of Jupiter was stowed away within the confines of the Big House, away from all of those shocked campers who had went out of their way to avoid the main lodging, those same people who would regularly stare at the son of Jupiter with nothing short of adoration, had stared at him as if he were hostile, _dangerous_ , and on some level, they were correct. It had been _ten_ days since Thalia had come by and scooped Jason out of Camp Half-Blood, along with the Huntresses, much to their dismay. The group of immortal maidens had delivered him to Camp Jupiter, but not before making a detour to present the blonde before the Olympian gods, just as the king of the gods himself had demanded. It had been eleven days—two hundred and seventy-five hours and forty-six minutes—since Nico’s scornful words had broken the almighty son of Jupiter, sending him over the edge of the cliff the younger demigod had no idea he was on the edge of.

And throughout those days, those hours, those minutes, and those seconds, Nico felt cheap, regretful, and sick to his stomach. At Percy and his obliviousness. At Hera for attempting to call Jason’s “heinous crimes” treason against his own father. At Jason for withholding how broken he really was on the inside. And overall, at _himself_ for being so weak, for being the one who not only pushed Jason over the edge, but shoved him, sending him down to the bottom of chasm where their friendship had undoubtedly shattered when the blonde hit the bottom. He was upset with Jason for not being able to rise from his despair, for not being able to fly up from the pit Nico had shoved him into—he was the son of Jupiter after all, flying _was_ his specialty. Jason was supposed to be unstoppable, able to do anything and _everything_. He was supposed to have walked away from their spat, ignored the son of Hades a little as he waited for an apology. Nico would have given it, and everything would have been back to normal; that’s always how things were after their fights.

Nico immediately scolded himself for thinking that way, carefully swallowing past the lump in his throat as an image of Jason being ushered out of camp, hidden by the Huntresses on his way out, was pushed to the forefront of his mind. Following behind Jason and his immortal entourage was the whispers of the campers, who all gossiped over various reasons as to why Jason was being sent to Camp Jupiter, permanently, temporarily, not even _he_ knew. ‘ _I bet he’s going to become a praetor again_.’ Or even, ‘ _I heard the Huntresses were sent to deliver him to Olympus, I’m_ sure _the gods are going to offer him immortality! Why wouldn’t they?’ ‘Are you insane? Why would they offer him immortality after he proved to be so…hostile?’_

Nico knew they were wrong, but he didn’t say anything on the matter. Before he was so graciously informed of what was going on, he may have made the same wayward speculations as some of the campers, that was until Piper notified him of what he had undoubtedly caused.

If he hadn’t thought it before, he was almost _positive_ the daughter of Aphrodite hated him, and he was sure any progress they had previously made disappeared in less than forty-eight hours. Leo, who he had supposed had begun to take a liking to him, barely even addressed his presence, only looking, or speaking to him when it was absolutely necessary. And he couldn’t blame either of them; he hated _himself_ for what he had done. He had fucked up monumentally this time, and he wasn’t sure if he could fix it.

“Snap out of it,” Nico murmured harshly to himself, slipping a hand into his Percy-disheveled hair and clenching his fingers around his dark locks, hoping to momentarily distract himself from his emotional pain with sharp physical pain. And it worked, for the time being.

Nico let loose a gust of breath when he reached his cabin, frowning slightly when he noticed that his fingers were trembling as he reached for the knob with his free hand. Maybe he was more tired than he originally thought? Deep down, he knew that wasn’t the case; he was nervous, afraid even, to step into the cabin that he no longer regarded as a coven, the place where he could escape his thoughts.

It was too dark now, too silent, and nerve wracking. Previously, Nico didn’t mind silence, nor darkness, but now, it was a tad too much for him to handle, reminding him constantly of how alone he was, how _he_ was the reason he had no one.

The young demigod disentangled his fingers from his hair, focusing solely on steadying his hand while simultaneously fighting against his anxiety upon entering his own lodgings. When he had successfully managed to open twist the knob, then after opening the door, he slipped into his cabin, immediately shutting the door behind him and dashing over to a window, yanking open the black colored curtains abruptly. As the light shone through the dusty window, Nico closed his eyes, focusing on breathing deeply, struggling to control his breathing as his anxiety dribbled away slowly. “Beyond pathetic,” he muttered, slowly letting his eyes open when he turned, studying the innards of his dwelling.

Though his cabin was an uncomfortable place for him to be, the dwelling also brought his a contrary peace that rivaled with chaotic thoughts. It was his sanctuary, the place where he could be on his own, and just _let go_. It held the happy memories of Jason he was so sure he would never have again, so he scrambled to keep them and never forget them, thus being the reason no one was allowed in his place of serenity; _especially_ not Percy. The son of Poseidon would spoil the tranquility, with his wicked seductions, of that Nico was sure. He wanted to treasure the peace, not have it filled with pleasurable moans and the heavy smell of sex.

As Nico moved across his cabin floor, toeing off his shoes and socks in the process, he caught sight of a deep purple fabric in a crumpled heap in the corner of his abode, standing out amongst the dark colors of the room. Nico knew what it was before he had crossed the distance between himself and the clothing, the unique scent of burnt ozone and fresh rain a dead giveaway as he lifted it from the ground, fingering the material reverently in his hands; it was Jason’s hoodie.

The son of Hades stared at the article of clothing for a while before he folded it dutifully, careful not to crease the material any further as he moved to the bathroom, dead set on scrubbing himself clean of the new odor that had taken up residence on his skin. Quickly, he stripped out of his clothing, the fabrics falling into a jumbled mess around his feet.

More than half an hour later, Nico had showered, finally deciding he was clean when his skin was burning and pink due to his studious as well as frantic scrubs, and his scalp stinging with pain where his fingernails had scraped against the skin—the place where Percy’s aquatic scent seemed to stick most. He had to admit, rather reluctantly, that he had been a little overzealous in his attentions, hissing quietly as he pulled on his clothing, the materials scraping against his skin lightly, yet painfully. Donned in a fresh pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt, decorated with a simple skull in the center, Nico lastly pulled on Jason’s hoodie, careful not to let his still wet hair soak the garment.

He knew he was beyond the point of pitiful as he fisted a sleeve in his hand, raising the limb to his nose and inhaling the fresh aroma, a new sense of calm overcoming him at the familiar scent.

He missed him, missed Jason, and he wanted nothing more than to go to Camp Jupiter and beg for the blonde’s forgiveness, forgoing his pride in the process. But Jason undoubtedly hated him, just as Leo and Piper did, but just as with them, he couldn’t blame the son of Jupiter for doing so.

For once, Nico didn’t mind that he was practically swimming in the hoodie, its oversized structure bringing him comfort as it hung loosely from his small frame. Then, all at once, a wave of exhaustion rushed over him, making his eyes droop and yawn force its way out of his throat. With the hand fisting the sleeve of the hoodie, he rubbed his eyes, much like a sleepy child.

He would sleep, he did deserve it after all, with all the stress going on in his life, he just needed rest, if only for a little. Nico agreed wholeheartedly with his thoughts, shuffling over to his bed blindly as sleep began to make his eyes bleary. He gracelessly collapsed onto his bed, curling in on himself and hugging a pillow to his chest for extra comfort.

Just before his closed his eyes, a small flare of panic shot through him, realizing that his sudden weariness was _not_ normal, but before he could ponder the subject further, sleep overtook him, welcoming him into the dark unconsciousness with open arms.

~*~

Nico’s eyes slowly opened as a sweet, fruity smell wafted into his nostrils, making him hum quietly in delight. He curled further in on himself as he let his eyes fall shut once more, wiggling his hand from the confines of Jason’s hoodie to fist the dirt on the ground beneath him. Wait. Dirt?

His eyes snapped open as the warm, sun soaked earth sifted between his fingers, molding to shape his hand. Carefully, Nico sat up; diligently brushing the dirt from the deep purple hoodie as he warily took in his surroundings. He looked around, realizing the sugary, berry like smell that had comfortably overwhelmed his senses was in fact a fruit, more specifically, grapes. Hundreds of them, maybe even thousands, lined along the earth and dangling from their vines temptingly. Absently, Nico reached out, plucking a deep purple grape from its place and rolling it between his fingers before he squeezed, the juice seeping out over his fingers languidly.

 A quiet tutting sound of admonishment had him turning, and he caught sight of the familiar fabric of gossamer before the owner of the voice spoke. “Do not be wasteful little Nico.”

The son of Hades immediately recognized the unfamiliar lilt that he had never been able to associate with any country he knew of. But he would know that voice anywhere, the strange way the owner of the voice pronounced his name would not be easily forgotten, along with the fact that he had a bone to pick with them. “Lady Dionysia.”

The goddess stepped out from behind a row of grapes; a wicker basket perched in the crook of her elbow, overflowing with the sweet fruit. Today she was dressed in a vibrant purple, gossamer dress that matched perfectly with the sweet berries in her basket. Her midnight black hair fell in loose curls down her back and over her shoulders, stopping just above her tailbone. Her red wine-stained lips were curled into a small, devious smile, her eyes twinkling with delight as well as something on the brink of insanity, after all, her father did have the ability to make one go mad.

“Why the need for such formality, young one?” Dionysia glided forward, a single, perfectly tanned leg peeking out from the slit in her dress as she moved, and in that moment, she reminded Nico more of a daughter of Aphrodite than the daughter of a wine god.

Nico pulled himself to his feet as the goddess neared, bowing stiffly when she stopped in front of him. “Decorum requires such. Where are we, my lady?”

Dionysia frowned silently for a moment, studying him closely before she decided to answer. “In a vineyard, it is only fitting for a child of Dionysus, yes? But this is merely a dream for you, young one. Rest assured that you are still safe and snug in your residence back at the camp,” she placed her hand on the fruit in her basket rather lovingly, Nico noted as he straightened himself, watching as a small smile lifting the corner of her red lips before they tilted back down once more.

“Was it you who was influencing me to sleep?”

The goddess nodded absently, hovering her hand over a dozen or so grapes that looked rather unhealthy, seeing as they were hanging limply from their vines, their purple color having taken on more of a brown luster, and instead of the plump shape they were supposed to have, they were sunken in, reminding Nico of raisins instead of the juicy fruit they were meant to be. Less than a second later, the fruits were healthy once more, and Dionysia pulled them from their vines with no trouble, stashing them in her basket with a deep frown. “Insolent whelps,” she muttered ill-temperedly.

“Excuse me?” Nico’s brows furrowed with confusion as the daughter of Dionysus glared at the place where the newly-healed grapes once hung.

“Those…what do you call them?” she paused for a moment, her brows creasing in irritation before they shot up with recognition. “Ah, yes! Those _fruit flies_. They are always ruining my precious fruits.”

Nico watched her with reluctant amusement as she stared down her tiny foe, her fist clenching in a motion that the son of Hades could only interpret meant a few of the “insolent whelps” were no more. “I will kill them all,” Dionysia sniffed haughtily, her hair tumbling down her shoulders with the motion. “Father says I must keep them alive, that they are apart of some… _circle of life_ , and that they are beneficial to my fruits.”

Her nose scrunched distastefully. “Bah. They are nothing but pests the world must be rid of. I will personally make sure they will be taken down one-by-one. Do you think your centaur camp director will let you and your half-bloods join my army?”

Nico bit back a smile, trying to remember his anger at the raven-haired goddess before him. “I think it is a battle you would have to fight on your own, my lady.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “It is of no matter; I shall ask the Maenads to help me in your stead. They always have been loyal followers of my father, meaning they should be loyal to me as well.”

“But I thought your father requested that you keep you existence a secret?”

Dionysia’s eyes flashed stubbornly for a moment before her shoulders drooped with a heavy sigh. “Yes, of course.”

A few moments passed in silence as the goddess wandered around, healing her sacred fruits and grumbling about the impudent creatures that were fruit flies. Nico cleared his throat loudly, and Dionysia spared him a single glance before she waved her hand, conjuring a table full of food and a few bottles of wine. “Sit,” she requested, motioning towards a chair that immediately slid itself out with ease despite its place in the dirt.

Nico sighed impatiently, blowing out a gust of breath, his bangs flying off of his forehead with the action. “My lady—.”

“Haven’t we previously established that you are ‘Nico’ as long as I am ‘Sia’?” she didn’t give him time to answer as she motioned to the chair once more, though this time it stayed in place. “Sit.”

Nico did as he was told rather petulantly, plopping down into his seat with a childish frown. Dionysia waved her hand once more, and plate appeared before the demigod, piled high with various foods, from the most elegant, to something one could pick up at a fast-food restaurant. “Eat, father tells me you have been skipping breakfast as well as your midday meal. You must eat, little one, though this is merely a dream, you will still gain sustenance from doing so.”

The surprised the son of Hades, his jaw dropping open in shock. “You father told you that? Does he know that we…are acquainted?”

Dionysia waved her hand dismissively. “Of course not. It is just father telling me of things at the camp, nothing more. You need not worry, little half-blood, my father will not be not be incinerating you because you know of me.”

Nico nodded, more relaxed as he settled back into his chair, shaking his head as the goddess nodded towards the food before him. “I’m not hungry.”

Dionysia’s wine-stained lips twisted into a frown, and the goddess walked—more like _sashayed_ —over to the table and dropped her basket of grapes down delicately before she slid into her seat gracefully. “What is the matter, Nico?”

The teen in question couldn’t help the small smile that tilted up the corners of his lips at the unfamiliar way his name rolled off of her tongue. “Nothing, I’m fine.”

Dionysia watched him carefully for a moment before she plucked a grape out of the overflowing wicker basket and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly before she responded. “Does it have anything to do with your green-eyed son of Poseidon?”

Nico choked on the breath he was taking, doubling over in a fit of coughs as he gripped the creamy white tablecloth for support. When he regained himself, Dionysia was still slipping fruit past her full lips, her brows raised as she waited for an answer. “I-I have no idea—.”

“You think me foolish little demigod?” Dionysia’s hair tumbled over her shoulders. “I have caught glimpses of you whenever I could, and it always happened to be the same time of day when you cross the threshold of the son of the sea god’s residence, then slip out, more melancholy than when you entered. I will not pry as to the reason why you are in his lodgings in the first place when even _I_ know it is against the rules for you demigods to fraternize in one another’s quarters. But I will ask why you are so deeply saddened. I am… _concerned_ , young one.”

Nico clenched the fabric of the tablecloth in his fist, wrinkling the pristine material uncaringly. “It’s not your place to ask.”

“Oh?” Dionysia dropped the grape that was perched between her fingers back into the basket, putting all of her undivided attention on the demigod before her. “And why is that?”

Nico felt all of his pent up irritation and anger at himself as well as the goddess before him burst forward in that moment, and there was nothing he could do to stop from snapping at the daughter of Dionysus. “Because you’re the reason I’m in this mess in the first place.”

Dionysia’s light brown orbs glinted dangerously, but Nico continued before she could even get a word out. “You’re the reason why Jason and Piper broke up, the reason why—.”

The goddess waved her hand dismissively, as if batting away his accusations with the simple action. “I care not for your petty demigod relations that last for the blink of one’s eye. What is long to you half-bloods and mortals is nothing but a mere second to us immortals. You need not upset yourself over something that lasts such a short amount of time; your emotions on the matter are rather ridiculous.”

“But that doesn’t mean they matter any less, it doesn’t _mean_ our relationships—just because they’re shorter than those of immortals—matter any less!” Nico’s brows furrowed with barely constrained rage at her blatant dismissal of other life forms but her own.

“What have I done to make you so upset with me, demigod? Tell me now or else I shall refuse to listen to you later.”

“You ruined _everything_ , don’t you get that? After you gave me that stupid Aphrodisiac, everything went to shit! Gods, I can’t believe I even trusted you in the first place. You’re like every other immortal, always getting a kick out of meddling with us demigods and our lives. Our lives are as important as you all’s. Sure they’re short, but that doesn’t mean you get to ruin them while you sit on your pompous asses drinking… _wine_ all day,” Nico spat, knocking down a bottle of wine in his fury.

Apparently, that was the last straw for the dark-haired immortal. Dionysia stood from her seat abruptly, and all at once, a suctioning sound erupted all over the vineyard along with the overwhelming smell of…grape juice? When Nico looked around, her saw that the sweet fruits were shriveling from their place on the vines, their juice soaking the earth beneath them. “Do not make assumptions about _me_ , half-blood. You know nothing of me; do not even act for a second as if you do.”

Nico gripped the sides of his chair as Dionysia continued, the goddess’s hair whipping around her with an unnatural breeze. “I will not continue to have blame place upon me, do you understand?” the raven-haired immortal made a shoving motion with her hand and the table before them went flying off into the expanse of the vineyard. “I have had _eons_ of blame placed upon me, I refuse to have anymore!”

Slowly, Nico noticed what the subtle scent of salt that had caught his attention was; tears, _Dionysia’s_ tears. The goddess had subtle tears pooling in her eyes even as her features were contorted with anger. “Eons of blame?”

She sucked in a sharp breath, then turned her back on him, inspecting the damage she created before she waved her hand, making the fruits whole and healthy once more while simultaneously righting the table, every morsel of food back in its original spot as if it had never been moved in the first place. “It is nothing,” Dionysia’s voice was curt as she moved further away from him and towards her precious fruits. “I apologize for my outburst; I assure you it will not happen again.”

Nico slowly stood from his seat, not eager to evoke the goddess’s anger once more as he made a quick decision on whim. “Tell me about yourself.”

Dionysia turned sharply, her brows furrowed and her eyes clouded with suspicion, no longer holding the tears that were previously on the verge of slipping out. Nico shrugged, toeing at the ground sheepishly, ashamed at his anger at the goddess. “I’ve told you everything about myself, but you’ve never told me anything about you.”

“It is not necessary to speak of my life—.”

“How come?”

The goddess remained silent as she turned back around, surveying the healthy fruits before her. “And what did you mean by ‘eons of blame’? Blame over what?” Nico asked softly, attempting to pry without upsetting the goddess.

“Is this something you must know?” Dionysia murmured, stroking the leaf of a vine gently.

Nico nodded hesitantly at first, then remembered she couldn’t see him, so he spoke once more. “If you’d be willing to share, then yes, it is.”

“I thought you would say as much,” Dionysia sighed, then turned to another part of the vineyard. “Just a moment then.”

Before Nico had a chance to question what it was they would be waiting for, Dionysia turned to yet another part of the seemingly endless expanse fruits. “Pet,” she called out softly yet firmly, “To me.”

For a moment, it was silent, and Nico shifted on his feet uncomfortably in the deafening silence that followed her words. That was until a quiet rustling sound caught his attention and he stiffened, reaching for the sword that was usually at his side, but seeing as this was merely a dream, he didn’t have it with him. “Sia, what is—?”

Dionysia shushed him as she squatted down, a loving smile taking place on her lips. “Come here you fickle kitten.”

And out of the vines and into Dionysia’s arms jumped a small, speckled creature that Nico identified as a leopard as the goddess turned, cooing to the animal in her arms softly. “It is my father’s sacred creature after all, so it is mine as well,” Dionysia said softly when Nico gave her a questioning look.

“Sit, young one.”

Nico did as he was told, folding his hands in his laps as he patiently waited for Dionysia to begin her tale. “You must remember this happened eons ago, demigod. Meaning you have never before heard of this, and you will undoubtedly be the only half-blood to ever hear of it.”

The son of Hades nodded slowly as the goddess settled herself into her seat, a small smile taking place on her wine-stained lips and the young leopard in her arm began batting at her silky locks with a small paw. “Peace, Ajax. You little nuisance,” Dionysia mumbled fondly, rubbing the feline behind the ear, making Nico smile when he heard the telltale purring of comfort.

“Millennia ago, I was betrothed to the current god of the sun—.”

“Helios?” Nico quickly closed his mouth as the goddess gave him an exasperated look.

“Demigod, because you wished for the tale, you must be silent as I speak; save your inquiries for the end. But, no, I was promised to Apollo.”

Nico couldn’t help letting his jaw slacken at this newly found information, but immediately sobered from his shock as the goddess began to speak once more. “It was the ideal betrothal, he was young, as was I, and we were around the same age as one another. We had taken a fancy to one another before our betrothal was announced, so we were both very pleased when our fathers allowed it, and not only that, but supported the marriage wholeheartedly. We were two younglings in love, he had fallen for me first, and then I for him; though that did not mean I loved him any less.”

Dionysia sighed softly, a sad look of nostalgia taking up residence in her light brown orbs. In response, the small leopard in her arms nuzzled its spotted head into her chest, meowing softly as the goddess absently rubbed its head. “So what happened?” Nico asked softly, forgetting his promise for silence when the goddess turned away, her dark hair falling into her face like a shield.

“I am sure you know the tale of Lord Hermes’s birth, am I correct?”

Nico nodded hesitantly. “Wasn’t his mother one of the Pleiades, the daughters of Atlas?”

“Yes,” Dionysia murmured, still keeping her face shielded from the young demigod. “Maia was the eldest of the seven, and was also the most beautiful, though she was quite shy as well. Because of her status in beauty, she caught Zeus’s eye, and soon became his lover after the two acquainted, unbeknownst to his wife, Hera of course.”

The goddess turned sharply then, her eyes blazing with a fierce obstinacy that had Nico leaning back in his chair to escape her gaze. “You must know, before I tell you this part, that Lady Hera was like a second mother to me. She loved me as much as my own mother, and supported my marriage with Apollo more than my own father, despite her disliking of him. She’s loving—.”

“Really? She could have fooled me,” Nico grumbled, immediately falling silent at the severe glare that was sent his way.

“You demigods know nothing of Hera’s nature, she is the goddess of _matrimony_ , and therefore it is only natural for her to react in such a rash way whenever Zeus steps outside of their marriage. All you half-bloods and mortals know of her is that she is a spiteful woman full of jealousy, but you never learned of the other side to her. She’s kind, yet stern, in a way that all mothers should be, and she’s very loving. She treated me as if I was her own child,” Dionysia smiled, the gesture full of sadness, “She never quite had close relations with her children, especially her females ones, so she treated me as if I was one of her own, seeing as she detested the children of Zeus that were not hers.”

“But you’re a child of Dionysus, if I’m correct, Zeus cheated on her with a mortal woman, and thus your father was created.”

“Ah, yes, you make a good point, young one. But I was born from a _pure_ marriage, from my father’s rightful wife, Ariadne, and she therefore could not help to love a child born from such.”

The son of Hades nodded, and the goddess continued, more softly this time. “I loved Hera much like I loved my own mother, so when I heard Maia was with child, I told her,” Dionysia rushed on, her folded hands twitching madly in her lap, even as her leopard snuggled against her, obviously sensing her distress, “I had no idea that she would attempt to kill the daughter of Atlas, nor the child within her, and if I would have, I wouldn’t have spoken a word.”

Nico frowned slightly, his dark brows furrowing. “I don’t remember this part in mythology.”

“If you will be patient, I shall tell you why,” Dionysia stroked the feline with a slightly shaking hand. “She was deterred from her task of murder of course, seeing as Hermes is alive and well today, but Zeus was infuriated, and demanded to know how she ever found out.”

“And Hera told him?”

Dionysia shook her head, a look of loathing taking place on her beautiful features. “Apollo did; seeing as he had overheard our conversation. He was always trying to get into his father’s good graces, and he figured this was the way to do so.”

“I…I thought you two were in love?”

“I thought so as well,” Dionysia quipped wryly, setting the attention seeking kitten, Ajax, on the ground before her to play. “And he proclaimed his love for me _after_ I was tried for treason against Zeus, and for the attempted murder of his bastard son and his mistress.”

Nico flinched at the vitriol laced in the goddess’s tone, and fidgeted uncomfortably as her hands clenched together tightly in her lap, the fabric of her dress bunching up within its confines. “He did nothing to help you?”

Dionysia tipped her head back and laughed, the sound making Nico’s inside turn cold as he watched the immortal’s dark locks tumble down her shoulders. “Of course not. He stood there like a perfect son of Zeus, and even helped to pick out my punishment.”

“Which was…?”

“Death.”

Nico’s eyes widened at the simple way the goddess spoke such a darkly implied word. “Death…?”

“Yes. My mother and father were devastated; I was their only child after all, and Lady Hera overcome with such fear for my life, she begged, along with my parents, for another penalty, anything but death. And do you know Zeus did?”

The half-blood shook his head warily, sure he wouldn’t like what he was about to hear. “He turned to _Apollo_ and asked him if I was worthy enough to live,” Dionysia spat, and the tableware began to tremble with the force of her anger.

“Um, Dionysia—.”

“And Apollo told him in return, that I may be worthy enough to live, but I wasn’t worthy enough to live and be his _wife_ , much less be known as his former wife, or be known _at all_.”

Nico scooted back from the table as the silverware began to rattle loudly from their places on the elegant, white cloth that was now stained with spilled wine. “Dionysia—.”

“And thus was my sentence. Any memory of my existence was wiped from the minds of demigods and mortals alike, and I was forbidden to have any contact with those besides my father, mother, and Lady Hera. I was, and still am, shunned by every immortal, major or minor. They look past me as if I am not even there, as if I am nothing more than an insufferable waste of space.”

Nico stood nervously from his hair as an unnatural breeze began to blow through the air, whipping the goddess’s hair around her maniacally. “ _Dionysia_.”

“And after my sentencing, Apollo had the _gall_ to declare his love for me, stating that his betrayal had to be done, that it was for the best, that I never should have—.”

“ _Sia_!” Nico yelled sharply, when the grape vines began reaching out and wrapping around his legs and wrist, restraining him. When Nico heard a distressed meowing sound, he saw that the same was happening to the young leopard, nearly _suffocating_ in the entanglements of the plant.

All at once, everything stopped. The deafening sound of rattling dishware quieted down until it was no more, and the restricting vines that had begun to wrap around his midsection unraveled themselves from both Nico and the feline. Dionysia looked up, her light brown eyes full of remorse and unshed tears. “I-I apologize, I don’t know what came over me, I—.”

She stopped short when she evidently heard another anguished sound from her leopard. Dionysia slid from her seat, and fell gracelessly to her knees before the feline, holding her trembling hands out. “To me, Ajax.”

Ajax shied away from her touch, and Nico heard the goddess suck in a sharp breath, as she held her hands out more insistently this time. “Ajax, _please_ ,” she murmured, her voice quivering with barely contained emotion.

Hesitantly, the spotted creature crawled over to her, nuzzling its head into her hands lovingly. Nico swallowed past the lump of nerves in his throat, having nearly forgotten this was merely a dream. “Dionysia—.”

“You now know my story, young demigod; why it is that I am forgotten,” the goddess cradled Ajax in her arms, keeping him close to her chest. “I must not keep you any longer, someone is beginning to wake you, and so we must part ways here.

“But—.”

“I shall pay you a visit soon, Nico, but for now you must go,” Dionysia waved her hand, and the last thing Nico saw was her tear-streaked face before everything went black.

~*~

** Jason’s POV **

Jason hated that everyone was treating him like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any second. He lost it once— _once_ —and now people were treating him with great care, going out of their way to make him happy, but otherwise tiptoeing around him as if would blow up another statue of Jupiter…or Zeus, _whatever_.

It was one time, _one_ slip up that wouldn’t happen again. It had all just been too much; his breakup with Piper, fleeting thoughts of his mother here and there, struggling with just _being_ a son of Jupiter and keeping up the image he had to maintain, and then seeing Percy and Nico together. Even now, his stomach coiled into knots at the thought of two of them, the younger demigod wrapped in Percy’s arms snuggly. The image simply made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t know exactly what it was he felt when he had seen the two, but he knew for sure that it wasn’t…jealously.

He wasn’t jealous.

Jason leafed through the pages of a large-texted book—made easy for the dyslexic demigods of the camp—not really taking in the words he was skimming over, his mind beginning to wander elsewhere, to a topic that had been on his mind for days now, and he had Piper to thank for that.

His golden brows furrowed at the name, his emotions an ever turbulent storm whenever he thought of the daughter of Aphrodite. He knew, still that he wasn’t in love with her, no matter how hard he wished it, he knew it wouldn’t happen. And Piper was okay with that now, she had told him so. _I’ll be fine without you and you without me_.At that thought, his mind instantly began to recall the last words the son of Hades had spoken to him before he had left.

Jason sighed heavily at the memory, throwing a hand over his eyes. Sure, he wasn’t exactly _happy_ with the words Nico had spat out at him, but in the week he had been at Camp Jupiter, he realized the younger half-blood was partially right; he _was_ a fuck up, but he was wrong as well. Jason now knew the reason why Piper wouldn’t get back together with him, and it was quite troubling.

Of course he hadn’t discovered the reason on his own, no; the daughter of Aphrodite had _explained_ it to him on one of her visits to his little abode, that was a distance away from the actual camp. She had been by multiple times during his stay at the camp, more than often bringing Leo along with her on the visit.

A small frown took place on Jason’s lips as he thought of his best friend. The son of Hephaestus had seemed troubled by something lately, becoming instantly defensive when anyone addressed him about his strange behavior. Sometimes, Jason would catch him getting ready to say something, but apparently the mischievous Latino thought better of it, and ended up remaining silent.

Jason shook his head, silently determined to get to the bottom of Leo’s abnormal mannerisms. But for the moment, his mind whisked him back to the disconcerting topic at hand.

His and Piper’s talk had been more than uncomfortable, through the whole chat, Jason could barely look her in the eyes, his guilt weighing heavily upon his shoulders. At the thought of his tongue-tied behavior, he tossed his book aside, sliding to the ground out of his winged-back chair with a groan of mortification. Gods, he was beyond awkward.

He laid flat on his back on the beige-carpeted floor, his arms splayed out beside him as if he were creating an indoor snowman. The blonde stared up at the ceiling, his eyes chasing the twinkling crystals of the simple chandelier; the Roman’s had insisted upon the former praetor staying in one of the most elegant  condos they had, much to Jason’s embarrassment as well as denial.

Denial. Piper’s words drifted through his thoughts, making him frown deeply. _You’re in denial, Jason, why can’t you just accept it?_

Jason snorted softly, rolling his eyes with mild irritation. Just because Piper was a daughter of Aphrodite did _not_ mean she knew everything about love. _Yes, Jay, I still love you, but I’m trying to fall_ out _of love with you_.

The son of Jupiter closed his eyes, letting out a quiet huff of air through his nose. In an act of complete selfishness, he had practically begged her not to do so, to just wait for him to fall in love with her.

 _I’m already halfway there, Pipes,_ he had attempted to reason. _Can’t you just wait a little longer?_

He remembered her shaking her head sympathetically, her auburn locks moving with the motion as a small smile formed on her lips.

  _I can’t chase after someone who’s falling for someone else; and we both know who it is you’re falling for, Jason._

The son of Jupiter made a sound akin to growl in the back of his throat, rolling onto his side irritably. Piper had _no_ idea was she was talking about.

_You’re so thickheaded. We all see it, and you would too if you’d just take your head out of your royal rump for a moment just to consider your feelings._

It was complete and _utter_ bullshit, because he knew himself, _he_ of all people knew how he felt. And despite what Piper had suggested, had repeatedly argued with him over, he knew she was wrong.

He _was not_ falling for Nico di Angelo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think; I wasn't very sure of this chapter seeing as it's more of a filler for things that will be occurring later on.  
> I will try and have the next chapter posted either next week, or the week after, it all depends on what will be going on.  
> Thanks for reading. [:


	11. I Can Feel We're Getting Closer, Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It was a game. A game that neither of them wanted to lose, nor wanted to win. For if someone won, it meant the game was over, and neither demigod was ready for it to end yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *applauds myself for updating so quickly*  
> Okay, I know this chapter was posted sooner than you all probably expected, but I had this epiphany type thing, and I was afraid if I didn't write it quickly, I would forget about it.  
> Thank you all for the supporting comments, kudos, and for simply just reading the story, it means a lot.  
> So here it is. [;  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are greatly appreciated, and criticism is welcome. Enjoy. [:

** Jason’s POV **

“I think it’s time for a haircut, don’t you?”

Jason shrugged in response as Piper ran a critical hand through his golden blonde locks which had grown longer in past two weeks—weeks that had passed rather uneventfully if he did say so himself. His bangs now reached his forehead, nearly hanging into his eyes, but stopping just below his brows. And though his hair had grown much longer in the front, Jason had taken care to at least _attempt_ to keep the back from growing too long, and would have done the same with his bangs, but seeing as he did quite a frightful  job, he decided to leave the rest of his hair be. “I kinda like it,” he replied in only the partial truth, barely stopping his cheeks from coloring at his own embarrassment.

Piper snorted dubiously, leaning forward in her seat to reach the son of Jupiter with ease, her finger running through his bangs, lifting them from his forehead and slicking them back for a moment before releasing the locks and letting them fall back into place. “You look like you belong in a boy band.”

Jason tossed his head to the side, making his bangs fly off of his forehead before he winked at the daughter of Aphrodite, a heart stopping smile taking up residence on his lips. “Do I?”

Piper was mesmerized for a moment, her rosy lips parted slightly and her ever-changing eyes turning glassy as she kept her gaze trained on him. Once upon a time, Jason would have closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to her own, momentarily giving into the urge to slightly sate his needs. But he couldn’t do that anymore—Piper wasn’t here to rekindle the relationship that had once been between them, no, she was here merely as Jason’s friend, to check up on him and make sure he was fairing well; nothing more, nothing less, not matter how awkward their new relationship was.

The auburn-haired girl cleared her throat as she regained herself, her gaze darting off to the side solemnly as she worried a plump lower lip between her teeth, taking a moment before releasing it in favor of speaking. “Um, yeah…you do.”

Jason cleared his throat as an unintentional tension nearly became palpable in the air. He ran a hand through his golden locks, sweeping the hair from his forehead only to have it fall right back, brushing over his lids comfortably as he struggled to come up with something to fight off the apprehension before it became stifling. “Specifically, who do you think I look most like?”

Piper shrugged, fiddling with a feather in her hair, her discomfort obvious though she was trying very hard to hide it. And Jason couldn’t blame her, especially when she had previously admitted—more like blurted—that she had still loved him. It had would have been the right thing to say at the moment, but the blonde, who hadn’t been prepared, was startled. The two teens had been lying on the plush carpet in Jason’s living area, a movie on and merely playing as background noise as the demigods talked and joked quietly. Jason’s hands clenched into fists as he remembered their eyes meeting in a rare moment of silence between the two who had been rambunctious all evening. Jason remembered leaning forward to capture Piper’s lips as the daughter of the love goddess did the same, both pairs of lids heavy and hanging at half mast, ready to close when the distance between them was no more. That was until Piper paused, her lips a mere hairsbreadth from Jason’s, and her warm, cinnamon scented breath dusting over his handsome face, her lips brushing his ever so slightly as she shifted, squeezing her eyes shut before she pulled away, a pained expression on her face. _“Piper…?”_

The girl in question had turned away from him, choking on her breath audibly as her inhalations became more labored. _“Gods, Jason, **I hate you**.”_

Jason had blinked in surprise, and remembered reaching out to stroke her cheek comfortingly, his chest pained as she flinched away from him, the hurt at her rejection spreading through him like rapid fire much like it had when she had refused to take him back. _“I love you, Zeus I love you, and I don’t want to. Why can’t I stop loving you?!”_ Piper had cried, turning back to stare at the son of Jupiter with wide eyes filling with tears of anguish.

 _“Why can’t you love me back, why?!”_ Piper had struggled when Jason pulled her against his chest, her small body shaking with the force of her strangled sobs.

 _“I’m sorry, Piper, I’m **sorry** ,” _Jason held his former girlfriend close as small fists that had previously been beating on his chest in frustration gripped the fabric of his shirt, pulling the blonde impossibly closer as she cried into his clothing, her tears drenching the material.

Ever since then, things had been awkward between the two though the incident had happened days ago. Jason could tell Piper was trying hard to distance herself from him, her smiles rare and few around him and he could tell it took everything in her to meet his eyes, as well as be in the same room as him, mainly alone. Jason felt completely guilty for feeling the way he felt, but after some deep delving into his own mind, he realized, reluctantly as well as remorsefully, the he was okay. He knew he didn’t have a right to be so complacent with the way things were going at the moment, but he couldn’t help it, he had _tried_ to feel some sort of pain from his Piper’s breakup, but he couldn’t, not when he knew his indecisive, selfish behavior was hurting the daughter of Aphrodite, stringing her along when she was begging to be let go.

So he gave her what she wanted as much as he could; he cut her loose. And it was _much_ harder than he thought it would be.

But that didn’t stop the son of Jupiter from attempting to put a smile on her face nonetheless, needing to make up for hurting her _somehow_.

And so when Jason grinned mischievously, Piper’s feeble teasing words sparking an idea in his mind, he jumped up from his chair and snatched up an empty paper towel roll from the counter in front of him, bringing it to his lips as he broke out in the first song that came to mind, a song he hoped would bring a smile to the regularly optimistic girl’s face.

“ _You are my fire_

_The one desire_

_Believe when I say_

_I want it that way._ ”

Jason watched as Piper’s brows furrowed in confusion, and he doubled his efforts, determined to see at least semblance of a smile on those lips. “What are you…?” Piper trailed off, her lips pursed in confusion.

“I’m serenading you.”

The corners of her lips twitched, the movement so fast, the son of Jupiter would have missed it if he weren’t watching so closely. “Really, Jay, with ‘I Want It That Way’? You’re _such_ a romantic,” the words held a subtle air of pain that Jason nearly brushed off.

The blonde merely wiggled his brows inwardly wincing though he continued on with his song rather dramatically.

“ _But we are two worlds apart_

_Can’t reach your heart_

_When you say_

_That I want it that way._ ”

The daughter of Aphrodite shook her head, looking away with a small, reluctant smile on her face as Jason held out his hand, wiggling his fingers. “Come on Pipes, sing it with me.”

Piper shook her head, sparing a glance at Jason’s outstretched hand before ignoring it studiously. “Not happening.”

“ _Tell me why_

_Ain’t nothin’ but a heartache_

_Tell me why_

_Ain’t nothin’ but a mistake_

_Tell me why_

_I never wanna hear you say—._ ”

“ _I want it that way_ ,” Pipers sweet, soft voice rang out in unison with Jason’s dramatic singing.

“There you go!” Jason couldn’t help but grin as he spun in a three-sixty motion, stopping when he was facing the daughter of Aphrodite once more, pointing to her and waggling his brows suggestively as his hips swayed slightly to the beat in his head.

“Where’d you get that move, TV?” Piper deadpanned, her brows raised, and her expression full of amusement, and Jason couldn’t help but feel a flicker of triumph at his achievement, having thought the auburn-hair girl would need to be prodded for a while before she even let a _glimpse_ of emotion show; obviously he had been wrong.

“Maybe, maybe not; how do you know it’s not a Jason original?”

“Because Jason is not that creative,” Piper teased, resisting laughter as the blonde’s lips tipped down in an exaggerated pout.

“Meany.”

Before Piper could respond, Jason grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her chair and rousing a startled yelp from her lips. “ _I want it that way_ ,” he repeated, lifting his arm and twirling the auburn-haired girl.

“That’s not the next verse,” Piper mused, letting Jason twirl her a second time, albeit rather stiffly.

“ _I forgot the lyrics_ ,” Jason sang in tune with the rhythm, making Piper laugh softly as she snatched the paper towel roll from his loosely clenched hand after a moment’s hesitation.

“Let me show you how it’s done _Boy Wonder_ ,” she teased, her eyes twinkling with mirth, her hurt momentarily forgotten as she brought the roll to her lips, continuing the song.

“ _Am I your fire_

_Your one desire_

_Yes I know it’s too late_

_But—_.”

“ _I want it that way_ ,” both demigods finished in tandem, both leaping into poses at one another’s sides, their hips swaying with the mental beats they had in their minds.

“ _Tell me why—_.” Jason

“ _Ain’t nothin’ but a heartache—_ ,” Piper sung, dramatically balling her free hand into a fist and bringing it down before her slowly.

Jason followed Piper’s moves with a wide smile, continuing on with the song. “ _Tell me why—_.”

“ _Ain’t nothin’ but a mistake—_.” Piper.

“ _Tell me why—_.” Jason.

“ _I never wanna hear you say—_.”

Both teens spun on their heels, auburn and golden blonde hair flying as both half-bloods flipped their hair in the same fashion as members of a stereotypical boy band would. Jason held out his hand, and Piper grabbed it loosely, spinning into his embrace as they finished up the chorus. “ _I want it that w—_.”

“What in Hephaestus’s name are you two _doing_?”

The paper towel roll clattered from Piper’s hand as both teens were startled from their song. Jason flushed at the bewildered look on Leo’s face, the demigod’s features scrunched up derisively, his elfish features holding an emotion that the blonde could only identify as…guilt? Just as Piper slid from his hold, the son of Jupiter heard a strong, feminine voice come from beyond his best friend, his embarrassment at being caught forgotten for the moment as he tried to place the voice with a name and a face. He didn’t have to wait long as Leo spoke again. “We’ll just have to come back later, Annabeth. Jason and Piper seemed to have lost their marbles; let’s give them some time to find them.”

The daughter of Aphrodite chucked the paper towel roll at the Latino, her eyes rolling in mock irritation even as a smile of delight took place on her features. “Come on in, Annabeth.”

Jason snorted, “I seemed to recall this being _my_ condo. You can’t just invite people in!”

“I apologize, your _Grace_ ,” Piper retorted dryly, taking up residence in the chair she had previously been seated in.

Annabeth crossed the threshold, her silky blonde curls hanging loosely down her shoulders rather than in the usual ponytail Jason was used to seeing it in. The daughter of Athena had a strange look on her face that rivaled with Leo’s utterly guilty expression that he attempted to hide with an impish smile and some humor. “What ever happened to _mi casa es su casa_ , huh?”

Leo passed Annabeth a fleeting look, his ochre eyes meeting the blonde female’s stormy gray ones before he tore his gaze away, his hands fidgeting more than usual. Jason frowned as Annabeth cleared her throat with some difficulty, eyeing him and Piper curiously. “I thought you two were broken up…?” she questioned more than stated, her brows furrowed in slight uncertainty.

“We are,” Jason and Piper answered in unison, sharing a brief, awkward look with one another before looking back to the daughter of Athena. The son of Jupiter kept his eyes trained on Annabeth, willing her to no to push further for more information as he settled himself in the winged-back chair he had come to favor.

“You guys seem all chummed up to me,” Leo muttered, his good-humored tone forced as he plopped down on the empty couch at the far wall of the average sized room, pulling out bag of chips from his tool belt: Jason really did envy that thing at times.

“We’re just friends.” Piper ran a hand through her hair, casting a pleading glance in Jason’s direction, silently begging him not to mention what had happened a few days ago. The blonde sent her a reassuring look, simply nodding in agreement as Annabeth waited for his reply.

As the days went by, it had become much easier to accept the fact that he and Piper had broken up; the daughter of Aphrodite had been generous enough to visit him nearly every day, helping him to nurse his broken heart even though he had been in the wrong, the one who truly had no reason to so melancholy over the split. And though Piper believed the visits to his little abode were to help mend his fractured heart, Jason believed it was the other way around as he recalled the multiple times of simply holding the daughter of Aphrodite close to his side, softly comforting her, coaching her through her tears of despair.

In all honesty, Jason knew Piper wasn’t merely dropping by just to keep him company as well as help him through their breakup; he was aware that she was making trips back to Camp Half-Blood after her visits, informing Chiron of his… _mental stability_ in order for the centaur to give the “okay” and allow the former praetor to return to the Greek camp. A part of him yearned to be back at the camp that he had called home—much like he did with Camp Jupiter—while the other part wanted to stay here, stowed away in his condo, safe from the trouble he was sure to encounter back at the camp. And that trouble had a name.

It was Nico di Angelo.

In the weeks he had been stowed away, he had forced himself not to think of the son of Hades, this being one of the rare moments he allowed himself the privilege of doing so. Whenever Piper had visited, he had been tempted to ask about the raven-haired demigod, but knew that was crossing a line, not on within their new, fragile friendship, but in regards to how the daughter of Aphrodite currently viewed the younger demigod. Whenever they were around one another, and it had been necessary to speak of him, his ex-girlfriend’s upper lip had curled into a barely there sneer, her voice strained as she fought to keep the contempt out of her voice.

“…son? Jay?”

“Huh?” Jason turned to look at Piper, then shifted his gaze, finding that all eyes were on him.

“I said, isn’t that great?”

Jason curled his bare toes into the beige, plush carpet beneath his feet, willing his thoughts not to drift off once more. “Yeah, it’s amazing.”

Leo snorted from his place on the couch, a pillow thrown over his face, occasionally lifting to permit access to a chip or two before falling back in place. “You have no idea what we’re talking about, do you, Superman?”

“No…not really.”

Annabeth’s lips formed a small smile, and she chuckled quietly, tipping her head to the side slightly, though the smile faded immediately as she glanced over at the son of Hephaestus. Had the two demigods had a fight before they came? “Chiron’s given the go-ahead for you to come back to camp,” Annabeth stated, a hallow smile taking up residence on her lips, and Jason vaguely wondered what it was that had occurred to make her act in such a grave manner.

Casually, Jason shifted in his seat, fiddling with the material of the rather lush furniture as a stagnant silence made itself known before the son of Jupiter realized each demigod in the room was waiting for his response. “Oh, thank Chiron for me, but tell him I’m fine where I am.”

Each demigod turned and stared at him, the pillow falling from Leo’s face as he twisted to look at the Roman stupidly from his comfortable position on the furniture, his mouth opening and shutting before he evidently found his voice. “ _What_?”

“I don’t want to go back, I like it here. I mean it.”

It was silent for a few moments before the room erupted into sound, each half-blood expressing their opinion on the matter, even Piper, which had surprised Jason to no end. He thought if anyone didn’t want him to come back, it would be her; apparently he was wrong.

“You don’t have a _choice_ , Wonder Boy, you’re coming back, how am I supposed to get along without _mi amigo_?!” Leo.

“We need you back at camp, practically everyone misses you.” Annabeth.

“Staying here won’t make your problems disappear, Jay. You’re coming back to camp.” Piper.

“Besides—.”

“You’re coming back with us, and that’s that,” Leo paused casting an apologetic look in Annabeth’s direction at having cut her off. “Continue.”

Annabeth nodded thankfully, “No one cares about what happened; they’ll all welcome you back like you never left.”

 Jason held up a hand, requesting silence when he saw Piper’s mouth begin to move, ready to form words once more. “I’m sure they will, as soon as I decide to come back.”

“This is about Nico, isn’t it?” Piper murmured, her voice slightly strained, yet soft; her words for his ears only.

Jason stiffened, averting his gaze diligently, his hands fisting at their places on the armrests of the chair. The male blonde shook his head, his thoughts running ramped in his mind once more as he mulled over the situation at hand. He wasn’t _ready_ to face Nico yet. For all he knew, the son of Hades hated his guts though he had no good reason to do so, that was just how the young demigod behaved. He knew he was probably making the problem bigger than it really was, but he couldn’t help it. He had grown _attached_ to the son of Hades, for lack of better wording, and no matter how much he hated to admit it, he didn’t think he could coexist at the camp with him without one word being spoken to one another. He wasn’t willing to _try_.

And not only that, but he was fearful of how he would act if they came face-to-face. He wasn’t exactly sure what he felt toward the son of Hades, but all he knew was that whenever he thought about him, a warm feeling spread throughout him, making him shudder as he recalled the raven-haired demigod’s sinful lips trailing down his neck, on his own. His dark orbs hazed with lust as a devious smirk teased the corners of his kiss bruised lips—lips _Jason_ himself had put in that state. And it was not only that time, no, it was Nico’s fleeting smiles, the trustful look in his eyes, that had Jason’s insides turning to jelly, a disturbing possessiveness brewing, and…why in Pluto’s name was he thinking about that right now?

“Please, Jason.” Piper whispered softly, her kaleidoscope eyes slightly wide and pleading as she cut through his thoughts.

“I…” Jason paused, gnawing on his lower lips indecisively as he struggled to maintain his resolve on the matter under each demigod’s beseeching gaze.

“Jason, come _on_ ,” Leo begged, straightening from his lazed position on the couch. “There’s no such thing as the Two Musketeers, you can’t just leave me and Beauty Queen hanging.”

Annabeth didn’t say anything, but the look she gave his was a imploring enough. Jason sighed heavily, his resolve already crumbling under the force of the three demigods’ pleads. He always had been one for putting other first, but for one, her wanted to make to be happy for himself, not for other people’s sake. He didn’t want to go back to Camp Half-Blood and play up the part of the ever humble and noble son of Jupiter. He wanted to stay here where there was no one expecting him to be anything but himself, he didn’t have to be anything but _himself_ when he was alone, so why would he go back to a place where he was forced to constantly put on a front, for fear of those who looked up to him seeing how imperfect he really was? Sometimes, he felt as if he couldn’t be himself around even _these_ demigods, the ones he had come to hold dearly to his heart as well as trust with his life as well, the ones who also expected Jason to sacrifice his happiness for their own, and though he knew his friends, in addition to being his comrades, would never despise him for stepping out of the expectation of perfection, he knew they would secretly be disappointed, and being who he was, he was more than reluctant to dissatisfy those who depended on him.

“Fine,” he muttered, standing from his chair jerkily, as tired sigh spilling past his lips. “I’ll come home.”

** Nico’s POV **

“Stop it, Percy,” Nico demanded, turning his head and dodging the lips that were aiming for his own as he pressed himself back against the wall, getting as far away from the older teen as the space would allow. “I’m not in the mood, seriously. _Stop_.”

“I can get you in the mood,” the son of Poseidon purred, trailing the tip of his nose over the sensitive spot beneath the younger demigod’s ear; Nico’s didn’t so much as shudder as the sensation in caused, merely tilting his head in the opposite direction, an irritated expression fixed upon his features.

“I seriously doubt that—stop, Percy!” Nico complained as the older half-blood nipped his earlobe lightly before suckling gently.

When Nico moved to push the Percy’s head away, the dark-haired demigod nuzzled his nose into the younger demigod’s raven locks, and Nico had to stop himself shoving the older teen completely away from his person. “We haven’t had sex in _three days_. Three! Please?”

“If you want to fuck so badly, go find Annabeth. Now let me go,” Nico grunted as Percy pressed his larger body against his small frame, trapping him just as he was doing with his arms.

“She’s not here, she won’t be back for another hour or so, that gives us enough time—.”

“No, that gives _you_ , your right hand, and a bottle of lotion enough time to get your shit together. _Move, Percy_.”

Percy let out an aggravated breath. “Is this about me spanking you? I said I was sorry.”

Nico flinched at the memory, his ass _still_ burned from where Percy’s large hand had slapped against his bare cheeks. And to add insult to injury, the son of Poseidon had called him ‘a home wrecking whore’ while doing so; yeah, not his idea of pillow talk. Why he had permitted Percy to do some of that kinky shit to him, he didn’t know. But it hadn’t been that bad, that was until the older demigod had gotten carried away and bruised his poor backside; he had practically been living off of small portions of ambrosia for three days. He really hoped he didn’t burn up.

He was sick of being called such degrading things, and it wasn’t the first time Percy had called him it either. He already knew what he was despite his hatred of his position in the older teen’s life as well as willingly letting himself being placed there; but that didn’t mean he needed a constant reminder. And Percy didn’t seem to understand how much it hurt him when he said that, or maybe he just wasn’t bothered by the effects his words had.

“I don’t care, just get off of me. Seriously, I don’t want to do this right now,” Nico grunted out as Percy pushed himself flush against the smaller teen’s body, his hands roaming down the younger demigod’s slim frame.

Nico swatted those violating hands away, hissing softly in pain as his backside was pressed more roughly against the wall than he would have liked. “ _Shit_ , that hurts!”

“Do you want me to massage it for you?” Percy’s voice was dripping with a suggestiveness that Nico easily ignored, feeling more uncomfortable at the moment than anything else.

“No, I want you to get the hell off of me!”

Percy simply chuckled, tilting his head and letting his warm breath cascade over Nico’s currently pinched features, the boy’s nose scrunching up as he turned from the unusually strange sensation. “Playing hard to get?”

“I’m not playing _anything_ , Percy, I really don’t want to do this right now, _stop_.”

Nico cried out softly as Percy’s considerably large hands palmed his fleshy backside, his eyes squinting in pain. “There you go,” Percy murmured, mistaking his hurting cry for pleasure rather than discomfort. “I wanna hear you, Neeks.”

Nico’s eyes snapped open fully at that, his chest beginning to ache as the familiar nickname crossed over those lips, sounding completely _wrong_ from the person the name was coming from. “Don’t,” Nico shoved Percy from his person, “Don’t you ever call me that again.”

Percy’s brows were furrowed in confusion as he watched the younger demigod peel himself from the wall, a somber expression on his handsome features. “Why not?”

Nico didn’t answer, diverting his gaze diligently as he attempted to swallow down his emotions enough to speak. “…Just don’t.”

The son of Hades felt a small burst of relief as Percy remained silent, believing that the older demigod had let it go. But of course he hadn’t. “You let Jason call you ‘Neeks’, so why can’t I?” Percy questioned, his tone dangerous and dripping with a jealousy Nico usually appreciated, seeing as it showed that he actually _meant_ something to the son of Poseidon, but today, it was simply irritating, seeing as the cause of Percy’s envy was the source of Nico’s guilt as well as heartache.

The raven-haired demigod shook his head, moving to shuffle past the older teen. “I’m not doing this right now,” he mumbled, his dark bangs hanging into his eyes as Percy gently, yet firmly pulled him back to his original spot.

“Well I am. What makes him special enough to call you that? Huh?”

Nico’s limbs rose, two slim fingers on each hand massaging his temples as the beginning of a headache commenced. He sighed softly, his fingers relieving the pressure in his head momentarily as the son of the sea god continued his interrogation. “Answer me,” Percy snapped, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans impatiently.

The younger demigod merely cast the older half-blood an irritated glance before he went back to the task of soothing his aching head.  Percy’s features twisted into a disdainful sneer, “What does Jason have that I don’t have? Maniac outburst?!”

“Don’t you dare talk about him like that,” Nico growled, yanking his hands from his temples as his dark eyes flashed dangerously, his pain forgotten.

Percy straightened, pulling his shoulders back as his lifted his chin haughtily. “I’ll talk about him however I please.”

Nico snarled, words he was almost positive would made Percy crumble on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back, barely swallowing back his fury. “You’re such an asshole.” Nico shot back maliciously, shoving past the son of Poseidon angrily.

“And you’re a home wrecker,” Percy murmured under his breath, his voice dripping with vitriol as Nico paused, growing deathly still at his place halfway between the door and the son of Poseidon.

“What did you just say?” Nico asked softly, his fists clenching at his sides and gripping the fabric of the all too familiar purple Camp Jupiter hoodie hanging off of his small frame. Percy flinched; startled at the possibility of his hurtful words being heard.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I’m a home wrecker, am I?” Nico inquired calmly, though internally, a battle was raging within; whether or not to ignore the words, and undoubtedly sob about it later, or hurt the older teen as much as he was hurting him. A spiteful grin stretched across his lips; yes, the latter sounded _so_ much more appealing.

 “Nico, I didn’t mean—.”

“Yes you did, and you know what? I don’t care,” Nico lied easily, his fists unclenching at his sides as he turned to look at the older demigod over his shoulder nonchalantly. “Because if I’m a home wrecker, that obviously means there’s a lying, cheating, _bastard_ that’s willingly allowing me—the said wrecker—to come in and do my relationship wrecking. And guess what? You just so happen to be that bastard, therefore, you’re not so innocent yourself.”

Percy immediately deflated at that, his gaze averting to something else within his unruly cabin. “I _know_ that, okay? I don’t know why I do this with you, but I can’t stop, I swear on the River Styx I’ve tried, and look where it gets me; right back to where I started.”

If it were another time, Nico probably would have melted under those words, his anger dissipating and Percy would more than likely surge forward, ensnaring his lips with his own. But it wasn’t another time, it was _now_. And frankly, Nico didn’t care for Percy’s indecision much at all today, not when he had insulted Jason. “I didn’t mean what I said,” Percy whispered, taking a few steps forward until he was in Nico’s space once more. “I know it hurt when I said it to you a few days ago, and it hurt when I said—.”

“I’m used to being hurt whenever I’m with you, it’s just a part of the package deal,” Nico muttered indifferently, turning to face the front as he complacently walked to the exit, completely disregarding Percy’s words.

“What…what package deal?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? You get something other than vanilla sex, and I get your attention for a few hours.” Nico’s lips twisted into a mocking pout as he glanced back over his shoulder to look at the surprised dark-haired demigod. “But I didn’t really think when I ordered the package, you see. It kinda came with something I never asked for; _hurt_.”

Nico didn’t know why he was saying all of these things, but he couldn’t stop, it all felt strangely… _freeing_ to speak the words that had been raging through his mind. “But it’s okay,” Nico reassured him dryly, setting his hand on the cool knob of the door. “I always come back to you anyway, so my feelings on the matter are completely irrelevant, huh?”

“Ni—.”

“Same time tomorrow then?” Nico asked calmly, pulling open the door and sliding out into the warm evening air without waiting for Percy’s answer.

Nico pressed his back against the door, his cool façade fading away almost instantly as he squeezed his eyes shut, steeling his nerves enough to walk back to his cabin without shedding a single tear, or even letting out a mere stuttering breath.

Distantly, he heard familiar voices, and he wasn’t sure if they were actually a considerable distance away from him, or if it was merely his raging emotions drowning out the sound. He didn’t really care at the moment; he just wanted to be alone. With dark orbs trained on the ground, Nico shuffled in the direction he knew he cabin to be in, the voices drawing even closer. And he was thankful for that, was thankful for something other than the familiar mocking voice in his head, reminding him of how stupid he was for returning to the son of Poseidon each and every time.

So when he drew much closer to the voices, he didn’t mind. Until he ran into one of the people the voices belonged to. The unsuspecting demigods stumbled away from one another, Nico shaking his head to rid himself of his thoughts for the time being as he found words after being drug from his pit of self pity. “Sorry,” he mumbled hoarsely, steadying himself on his feet.

“No, it was my fault; I wasn’t watching where I was going, sorry.”

Nico’s brows furrowed that the sound of that particular voice, the other voices around the demigod diminishing until they were no more. Why did that voice sound so…familiar? Nico felt a strange sense of apprehension as he looked up from the ground, a feeling of unease coiling tight in his stomach as he did so.

And he had every reason to feel so apprehensive and uneasy, especially if he was staring up into the face of none other than Jason Grace.

At first glance, Nico wouldn’t have recognized him. Yes, while Jason's hair had grown longer than he had every seen it since Jaskn cut it so regularly, the longer strands of hair that had been there tickling his neck were no more. Now those golden blonde locks were nearly hanging into his dazzling eyes in the front, the back cut stylishly short. However stylish a homemade haircut could be. Those eyes that Nico had recognized immediately, the same ones that had been plaguing his guilt ridden mind were staring back at him, surprise as well as discomfort evident in their mesmerizing depths.

Nico couldn’t move. Nor could he breathe. Vaguely, he heard a voice, Piper’s, calling Jason’s name insistently, _desperately_. Either the son of Jupiter didn’t hear her, or he was doing a very good job of ignoring her in favor of keeping his gaze locked with the younger demigod’s.

 _What do I do?_ Nico panicked inwardly, unable to do anything but stare into those startling, light azure orbs he had missed so much. He fisted the sleeves of _Jason’s_ hoodie, and the blonde caught motion, his eyes trailing over the sight of the raven-haired demigod adorned in his clothing.

Nico felt his face heating up, and he was _positive_ there was a light blush dusting over his alabaster cheeks right then as Jason’s lips parted slightly in…shock? “Jason, _come on_ ,” Piper urged, and for a second, Nico despised her, wanted nothing more than to swat her away in fear of her ruining this tense moment to make the blonde Roman walk away from him.

Jason absently shrugged Piper’s hand off of his shoulder as he continued watching the younger demigod intensely, undoubtedly waiting to see if he would speak, much like the son of Hades was doing in that moment. And Nico realized, if he didn’t say something now, he might not be able to say it at all—he didn’t know _why_ Jason was back at camp, or for how long, all he knew was that he needed to get out the words he had practically recited in his mind on a daily basis. He opened his mouth, the subtle hope in Jason’s eyes motivating him to say what he so desperately needed to, even if it come out in an incoherent blur. “Jas—.”

“Nico!”

And his concentration was shattered with a flinch, his eyes squeezing shut as he prayed to the gods that the son of Poseidon would just leave him be. But obviously, they seemed to have some vendetta against children of Hades, or just him in general, because Percy skidded to a stop right behind him, gasping his name out as he panted for breath. A growl of irritation built in the back of Nico’s throat, and he opened his eyes, stopping the sound from escaping as he saw Jason’s gaze fixed beyond him, unquestionably on the son of the sea god.

Nico spared a nervous glance over his shoulder to see Percy staring back, a mutual look of disdain in each hero’s eyes. Percy moved to stand at Nico’s side, but before he could he lift a foot, Jason had moved himself in front of the young, raven-haired demigod, partly shielding him behind his back. Nico wasn’t exactly sure how to feel as the Roman and the Greek stared one another down, each of their bodies tense as if preparing for a battle.

Leo cleared his throat uneasily, “This is really awkward.”

Both glaring half-bloods broke the gaze, Percy’s immediately stopping on his girlfriend, who was standing as stiff as a board, her gaze fixed on the son of Hades, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. Nico shifted uncomfortably, glancing over to the son of Hephaestus as he waited for a long overdue pun, only to see that the curly-haired demigod looked as uncomfortable as he, if not more so, and was wearing an expression the raven-haired demigod was all too familiar with—guilt. “Hey Wise Girl, how was the trip?” Percy murmured, his voice light as cheery as he moved in to place a kiss on his girlfriend’s lips.

Much to Nico’s surprise—and he was sure everyone else’s—Annabeth turned her head, Percy lips merely brushing over her cheek before she stepped away from him, putting a distance between them as she tore her gaze from Nico. “Fine,” she answered curtly, feigning a yawn that Nico could tell was forced, “I’m tired; I think I’m going to go get some sleep.”

Percy reached for her hand, frowning as she pulled it away jerkily before their skin could touch. “You…do you wanna sleep in my cabin, or—.”

“No,” Annabeth cut across, her eyes darting over to the son of Hephaestus who was currently doing his best to make himself small and unnoticed.

“...I’ll walk you to your cabin then—.”

“No need. Leo? Would you…just come with me,” Annabeth nearly demanded, and Nico swore he spotted a sheen of tears over her stormy gray eyes before she turned on her heel sharply, stiffly walking back to her cabin with Leo at her side, he shoulders hunched miserably.

Nico turned back to the remaining demigods confusedly, taking a startled step back as he locked eyes with the daughter of Aphrodite, her gaze bordering contempt. Unconsciously, Nico latched his hand onto the back of Jason’s shirt, releasing it nervously as the son of Jupiter turned to look down at him, a single golden brow raised beneath those blonde locks. “Nico, can I talk to you for a moment?” Percy asked, his voice tight.

“Actually, I need to steal him for a moment. I’m sure you can wait…?” Jason drawled out calmly, already taking hold of Nico’s cloth covered fist.

Percy made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat, but before he could get words out, Piper spoke. “ _Jason_ , we have something we have to do, remember?” her eyes were as cryptic as her words, her gaze continuously darting over to where Nico stood.

“It won’t take long, wait up for me at the pavilion? We’ll be done before dinner.”

And then they were moving, and Nico wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but he knew wholeheartedly that wherever Jason was taking him, he’d happily oblige, so long as he stayed there with him, no matter the apprehension he felt brewing within him.

More than once Nico felt his lips part, ready to spew out his practiced apology to the son of Jupiter, but he couldn’t get the words out; not now that the former praetor was before him.

And so their trek to their destination was silent, deathly so, and Nico kept he eyes on Jason’s back, just waiting for the older teen to just _say_ something as he followed behind him with nervous shuffling steps. With no little amount of trepidation, Nico slid his hand out of the sleeve of the hoodie, carefully threading his fingers through Jason’s until their hands were molded together. He didn’t know _why_ he did it, he just knew that it felt right, and when that all too familiar warmth seeped into his skin, he had to stop himself from letting out a soft sigh of partial relief.

Jason paused at the side of his cabin, looking down at their interlocked hands, then at the son of Hades who was currently worrying his lower lip between his teeth, his momentary relief dissipating at the look in Jason’s eyes. And before he knew what was happening, he was being pushed against the outer wall of the cabin of Zeus, nearly crushed in the embrace of Jason’s strong arms.

Nico stood still, shocked for a moment as he felt Jason tense around him, probably beginning to regret his action. Then Nico reached up on his toes, looping his arms around Jason’s neck and burying his head in the space between the older teen’s neck and shoulder, reveling in the familiar yet unique scent of burnt ozone and fresh rain. Jason’s arms slid around his waist, and pulled him closer, his face buried in the dark locks atop Nico’s head, his breath disturbing the tendrils there. Nico tightened his arms around the blonde, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he basked in the warmth he could only describe as Jason.

Neither teen wasn't sure if anyone had walked by, and evidently, they didn’t care as they held on to one another, the only sound between them their deep, calming breaths. They stood that way, silently, until Jason dared speech. “Nico…”

“I missed you,” Nico found himself blurting out softly, his voice choked with an emotion he could only describe as immense relief as well as hope, hope that the older blonde demigod didn’t hate him, even though he had every right to do so.

Jason squeezed him tighter, nearly choking the breath out of him. But what he did next, completely stole the son of Hades’ breath, making him never want to release the former praetor again. Jason’s warm, soft lips pressed a chaste kiss to Nico’s temple, trailing down until they applied pressure to his cheek, then even lower as they planted a kiss on his neck, nearly making the younger demigod tilt his head to give the son of Jupiter more room in which to continue the perilous trail of his lips over the young half-blood’s overheated skin. Jason pressed one last kiss to the pale expanse of Nico’s neck before he nuzzled his nose over the place his lips had been.

And Nico, in an act of brazen courage, pressed his own trembling lips to Jason’s neck, letting them linger probably longer than they should have. He felt a shiver pass through the older teen’s body as Jason, who would never allow himself to be upstaged, pressed yet another kiss to Nico’s neck, and the raven-haired demigod did the same, his lips roving over the Roman’s lightly tanned skin.

It was a game. A game that neither of them wanted to lose, nor wanted to win. For if someone won, it meant the game was over, and neither demigod was ready for it to end yet. When Jason pressed the first openmouthed kiss to Nico’s neck, the younger demigod's hands clenched around handfuls of the blonde’s shirt, his fingers undoubtedly digging into older teen’s shoulder blades. Nico could barely get his own lips to cooperate as he planted his own kiss to Jason’s neck, not really comprehending what he was doing as he let his tongue flicker on the skin, tasting. Jason shuddered briefly, then his lips returned with their own retaliation, latching on to the skin of Nico’s neck, and suckling gently, yet firmly, undoubtedly determined to leave his own mark on the pale skin. Nico couldn’t help the whimpering breath that bubbled out of his lips, and he tightened his hands around the material of Jason’s tee, pulling the older teen closer and encouraging him with his actions.

Nico didn’t know _what_ is was they were doing, all he knew was that if they didn’t stop whatever it was, things could—no _would_ —get dangerous. But the son of Hades knew the trembles that were shaking his small frame were not those of fear for what may come, but tremors of anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still trying to decide if that would classify as an evil cliffhanger or not. [;  
> I'll probably be rereading this soon, along with previous chapters to fix any spelling or grammar errors I've previously made. And hopefully I will be updating soon.  
> Thanks for reading. x


	12. My Eyes Start to Roam, to the Curl of Your Lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really getting the hang of this posting thing, if I do say so myself.  
> I'd just like to thank all of you for leaving such amazing comments, kudos, and for merely reading the story.  
> A special thanks to Wookiecookie, my new beta, for helping me to get my shiz together.  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are greatly appreciated, and criticism is welcomed, enjoy. [;

** Jason’s POV **

Jason knew he was partially to blame for the events that were taking place at that very moment, but he couldn’t find it within himself to regret his actions. The Roman shuddered as the son of Hades trailed heavy kisses along his neck, his warm breath coming out in labored pants, his usually cool skin warm to the touch, nearly feverish in fact. Jason clutched the sides of Nico’s waist tightly, the boy having scrambled up his body a while ago, his slim legs locked in a vice grip around the older demigod’s waist.

Some time ago, he and Nico had stumbled into his cabin, never once parting from their embrace for more than a few seconds at a time. Their bodies had molded together like members of puzzle piece despite the vast differences in their frames. Their kisses had long surpassed platonic and playful, and Jason knew they had crossed over into dangerous territory, knew that if they didn’t stop soon, he might not come out of the encounter with his virginity intact.

Jason always found the admission of being virgin quite embarrassing, especially coupled with the fact that everyone jumped to the conclusion that he was less than pure because of his appearance. He always found that quite troubling. When he looked in the mirror, he didn’t really see a womanizer…or in this case a _man_ izer. Was that what everyone else saw though? The thought of losing his virginity to just _anyone_ always put him on the edge. When he lost his virginity, he didn’t want it to be with a fling, or a one night stand. He wanted it to be with someone he was committed to.

So what was he doing?

He pushed those thoughts aside as his head dipped down to the nape of Nico’s neck, a simple openmouthed kiss being pressed to the skin there as the younger demigod tipped his head to the side with a soft whine of bliss, giving the older half-blood permission to continue the risky trace of his lips along the alabaster expanse of skin. Jason, who was never one to deny anyone of anything, wasted no time latching his lips on to the skin, his tongue occasionally darting out to taste as he suckled on the teen’s delectable skin. “J-Jason.”

His name was a breathy whisper that had him clutching the younger teen tighter to him, shuffling forward to until the young demigod’s back hit the wall. There, Jason lifted his head, a small popping noise sounding as he released the boy’s skin in favor of trailing his lips up the younger half-blood’s neck, the tip of his nose lightly brushing over Nico’s earlobe before nipping it gently. Nico shivered in his embrace, tightening his arms around Jason’s neck as he lifted his head, meeting the older teen’s eyes.

Never before had Jason wanted to kiss someone so badly.

Nico’s lids were lowered at half-mast, his rather long lashes nearly shielding his dark orbs, those of which were currently so murky, they nearly bordered a black color. Nico was unconsciously biting down on his lower lip, his cheeks flushed a baby pink color, and—why hadn’t Jason kissed him yet?

The son of Hades tipped his head to the side, as if pondering the same inquiry. Jason wanted to kiss him, more than anything at the moment. He wanted to feel those plump lips against he own, wanted the boy’s taste bursting on the tip of his tongue more than anything, much like it had a while back when Nico had been under the influence of the Aphrodisiac. This time would be better though, because if was actually _Nico_ who wanted him, not the Sacred Love Wine pulling him to any being. But by giving in to his urges, he felt as if he would be crossing a point of no return. He should stop this before it went any further. Yeah, that’s what he would do. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Nico beat him to the chase, the flush that adorned his skin darkening with the words he spoke. “Just kiss me already, idiot.”

Jason swallowed with some difficulty at the sound of the younger demigod’s voice; was it supposed to sound so… _husky_? So provocative? Nico’s fingers slid into the choppy locks at the back of Jason’s head, a slight smirk tilting up the corners of his full lips as he stroked the misshapen strands there. “I…”

“Do it,” this time, the tone of Nico’s voice was challenging, as his dark brows arched, accentuating the mischievous glint within his dark orbs.

“Damn it all to Tartarus,” Jason growled out before pressing his lips insistently to Nico’s, the boy’s lips immediately moving against his own.

As their lips melded together, a shiver ran down Jason’s spine as Nico’s fingers trailed down the neck of his shirt, running along the skin there. In response Jason traced the demigod’s lower lip with his tongue, hissing softly as he felt Nico dig his nails into his back at the action.

Unwittingly, Jason’s hands slid beneath the Camp Jupiter hoodie hanging over the raven-haired demigod’s small frame as well as the loose tee beneath until his hands met the boy’s feverish skin, Nico gasping into his mouth at the innocent contact. Jason merely clutched the teen’s sides, his fingertips occasionally smoothing over the pale skin. Nico let his lips part, and Jason wasted no time delving his tongue into that warm orifice, memorizing the moist cavern. From there, the intensity of their kisses grew, and with a few whimpered pleas from the son of Hades, they were shuffling over to the bed, their lips keeping contact even after they hit the mattress.

Jason couldn’t help but smile against the younger demigod’s lips as he tightened his legs around his waist, drawing the son of Jupiter’s hips down to his own until they were pressed together. Jason’s eyes snapped open almost simultaneously with Nico’s as their hips bore down on one another; evidently, they both had a bit of a problem going on in their _lower regions_. They stared at one another, a look of shock and embarrassment mirrored in one another’s eyes. “What the hell are we doing?” Jason muttered, more to himself than to the teen beneath him.

Nico responded anyway, his hands tightening nervously around bunch of Jason’s tee. “Don’t ask me, you’re the one who started this.”

Jason snorted despite their position, “You could have stopped me.”

The younger teen’s mouth opened and shut frantically for a moment before he found the words. “I could have stopped you?! How the hell was I supposed to stop you, when you were, were…all lips and hands—and on my neck—?!”

“Nico,” Jason attempted to cut in, his lips curling into a smirk at the panicked words spilling from the boy’s lips.

“And then you put your hands under my shirt! Then…then—.”

“Nico.”

“Then the bed—your lips—my lips—and I _know_ we both have lips—.”

Nico was cut off as Jason pressed those _lips_ he kept stuttering about back to his, the tension in the younger teen’s body dissipating rapidly as he responded to the kiss, a soft whimper forced from his lips as the son of Jupiter’s hips unconsciously shifted against his own. Seconds later, Jason broke the kiss, surging back down for another lip lock as Nico ran his tongue over his red, oxygen deprived lips, involuntarily gathering the older teen’s taste on his tongue. Just as Nico’s hips bucked into his own, a groan bubbling out of his lips, an insistent knock sounded on the other side of the door. “Jason?”

The teen in question broke the kiss with a groan, this one irritable instead of pleasurable, as he pressed his forehead to the younger teen’s, who seemed to be quite oblivious to the person on the other side of the door, seeing as he tilted his head for yet another kiss. The son of Jupiter indulged him for a moment before he tilted his head, breaking the kiss as a more demanding knock sounded on the other side of the door. “Jason, I know you can hear me. What the hell are you two _doing_ in there?”

“Talking,” Jason responded, wincing at the husky sound of his voice.

There was silence for less than a minute, and then _Piper_ spoke again. “Why do you sound so strange?”

“Gods she’s annoying,” Nico muttered, his thoroughly kissed lips twisting into an ill tempered pout.

“Hush, you,” Jason admonished softly.

“You don’t tell me what to do.”

Jason let a small smile stretch across his lips, his head surprisingly clear for the events occurring at the moment, but he knew later on, when he had time to mull over his actions, he’d be plagued with confusion as well as a rather awkward feeling because of what was taking place. He and Nico were supposed to be _friends_ , and friends did _not_ make out with one another.

With that thought in mind, he rolled off of the smaller teen, casting him an unintentionally longing look as he shuffled over to the door, running a hand through his locks in an attempt to look more casual. He knew it hadn’t worked when Piper gave him a strange look, attempting to peer around him to catch glimpse of the son of Hades. “What’s up, Pipes?” Jason averted his gaze, a subtle sense of guilt thrumming throughout him; guilt he only knew would grow stronger as time passed.

What was wrong with him? He knew there was something wrong with his kissing the guy that had caused the relationship he had cherished so dearly to crumble before his very eyes. Not to mention the fact that he still had a bone to pick up with him. “It’s almost time for dinner.”

Jason brought his wrist of for further inspection at the watch strapped to the limb, squinting as he fought to read the time through his dyslexia. “Pipes, it’s only…2:72—wait, hold on—I mean 5:15; dinner doesn’t start until 6:00.”

The son of Jupiter fixed his ex with a curious stare, his golden brows furrowed in a silent question. Piper looked away quickly, swiping a few strands of her choppy length behind her ear, only to have them fall right back into place. “I mean…I thought we could hang out for a little, talk—.”

“Hey, Jason?” Nico called from inside of the cabin, sounding innocently confused.

“Yeah?” Jason threw a glance over his shoulder, catching the devious glint in the boy’s dark orbs, but before he had properly indentified the strange gleam, Nico had spoken again.

“I can’t find my pants, where did you throw them?”

Jason felt his jaw slacken in astonishment at the brazen question,—as well as complete and utter lie—and he felt more than saw Piper stiffen in front of him. “Wait…I found them! They were right next to my boxers.”

And boom went the dynamite.

Jason’s mouth flapped open and shut for a moment, his head swiveling back and for between the two demigods so fast, his neck could have broken. “You’re sleeping with Nico?” Piper asked with a dangerously calm tone, her kaleidoscope eyes seeming to shift colors faster and faster with every second that passed.

“I—we just…he…” Jason trailed off, unable to form words between his silently fuming ex-girlfriend, and his smirking… _Nico_.

“Mhm,” Piper’s features pinched as if she were in pain for a moment, then the look washed away with every emotion on her face. “There’s no need to explain, I understand.”

Jason cursed himself for his inability to even form a coherent _word_. But could one really blame him? “I hope you enjoy yourself,” Piper bit out, turning sharply on her heel, just as Jason found his ability to speak articulately once more.

“Wait, Pipes!”

The daughter of Aphrodite’s head whipped around just as Jason took a step from his cabin door, freezing at the look she gave him. “Don’t. You. _Dare_ ,” she snarled, her full lips thinning until they could barely be classified as _lips_ anymore.

“Just…do your own thing,” she murmured softly, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold, an empty look taking up residence in her orbs. “I don’t care anymore.”

And with that, she was gone, leaving a guilt ridden Jason behind with his own thoughts. The blonde brought a hand up to his head, rubbing his forehead as he let his eyes fall shut for only a moment. He couldn’t pity himself right now; it wasn’t the time for that. He nodded in agreement with his own thoughts, a soft, yet determined sigh escaping his parted lips. He needed to get his crap together; first things first.

He turned, walking back into his cabin and swinging the door shut gently, Nico’s triumphant grin fading away as he viewed the look on Jason’s face. “What was that?” Jason crossed his muscular arms over his chest, a single blonde brow raised as he waiting for an answer from the teen lounging on his bed.

Nico shrugged, a blush gracing his pale cheeks. How could he even have the gall to look so abashed after he had insinuated that he and Jason had slept together? The former praetor felt his mouth go dry at the thought, as his mind—his terribly sinful—mind began replaying memories of the raven-haired demigod sprawled out on his bed, his face flushed an appealing pink color, and his dark orbs hazed over with pleasure, pleasure that _Jason_ had wrought upon him. The blonde shook his head free of the off-putting thoughts, focusing back on the source of his distraction. “I was only teasing,” Nico finally muttered, playing with the strings of the hoodie nervously, his fingers fumbling every so often.

Jason frowned, his brows furrowed at the strange tone in the son of Hades’ voice. “I don’t believe you.”

“I…” Nico bit down on his lower lip momentarily, and Jason could tell he was scrambling for another excuse.

“Don’t you lie to me,” Jason commanded gently, yet sternly all in the same breath. “That’s what got us into this mess into the first place.”

“You don’t think I know that?” Nico snapped suddenly, his rather small fists tightening around the deep purple laces.

“Nico—.”

“Don’t you _Nico_ me,” the young Italian mocked, his dark brows slamming down defensively.

“I just want to know why, Neeks.”

“I don’t know why, okay?!” the younger demigod squeezed his eyes shut, his frustration morphing his features, and Jason wanted nothing more than to erase that look off of his face, the one _he_ had caused; just the thought of upsetting the brown-eyed half-blood left a bad taste in his mouth. And if that wasn’t strange, the thoughts running through his mind most definitely were.

“You tell me why,” Nico began, his eyes opening again to reveal orbs full of anger, as well as something else; was that… _trepidation_? “Why you kissed me.”

Jason’s folded arms tensed. A part of him had expected that question, but not so soon after the event had taken place. Why _had_ he kissed Nico? _Because you wanted to, and you couldn’t stop thinking about it, even when you were back at Camp Jupiter_ , he so helpfully suggested to himself. He couldn’t tell that to Nico, he _wouldn’t_. So, he went with the first answer that came to mind. “Because you told me to.”

Jason silently cursed himself as Nico’s eyes widened in shock, an unreadable emotion flickering through them until there was nothing more. That mask Jason had almost forgotten slid into place on the younger teen’s features, his eyes surveying the Roman before him with a look of cold complacency. “Well, I guess a thanks is in order then,” Nico rose from the bed smoothly, his voice devoid of any emotion except a slight hint of disdain. “Thank you for indulging me, _Golden Boy_.”

“What do you mean, ‘indulging you’?” Jason question warily, pushing himself off of the wall to approach the younger demigod, a single hand reaching out to brush over the boy’s cloth covered arm.

“Don’t touch me,” Nico hissed, jerking out of reach, his jaw clenched tightly.

“Neeks—.”

“And don’t call me that.”

Nico pushed past him, angrily, nearly storming over to the door. “If you didn’t want to kiss me, you didn’t have to,” the son of Hades stated with his back to the blonde demigod.

So _that’s_ what this was about. Jason’s couldn’t help but let a small chuckle escape his lips as he reached out, snagging the teen’s wrist in his considerably larger hand. “Let go! And stop laughing at me you prick!” Nico protested. He writhed in Jason’s grasp as the Roman pulled him closer, until their chests were nearly touching, sending pleasurable tingles throughout the elder’s being.

“Jason Grace, if you don’t let—.”

The son of Jupiter pressed his lips to the younger half-blood’s, immediately silencing his protests as Nico remained frigid against him for all of two heartbeats, then relaxed into the blonde’s touch, allowing their lips to mold together as they previously had been before they were interrupted. Jason’s grip on the boy’s wrist slackened, and Nico took that opportunity to place his hand on the older demigod’s chest, seeming to want to push him away.

But instead, his hand merely tightened in the fabric, bunching it in his fist before he pulled the blonde closer, sighing softly into Jason’s mouth as the older teen slid his fingers into the younger’s dark locks, the tips of his fingers running over his scalp gently. When Nico attempted to deepen the kiss, Jason pulled back, pressing his face into the younger teen’s neck before he pulled away completely. “I don’t know why I kissed you,” he admitted honestly holding Nico at arm’s length when he felt the urge to kiss him once more.

He needed to stop. This was only confusing him further, and he could only imagine what it was doing to the raven-haired demigod. _Control yourself, Jason_ , he scolded himself, steeling his resolve as he looked back at the younger half-blood. Nico was studying him intensely, his dark brows furrowing with confusion.

Jason tipped his head to the side a bit, a small frown forming on his lips. “What?”

“How in the hell are you a virgin?” Nico questioned. The tone in his voice dubious and unbelieving.

The blonde Roman let his hands fall from the teen’s shoulders, as a look of complete and utter mortification took up residence on his sculpted face. “I—what— _who told you_?!”

“Piper,” Nico answered cautiously, drawing the name out. “Calm down, Jace, it’s not that big of—.”

“She told you?! I-I can’t believe she would do that!” the older demigod exclaimed, shoving his hands through his hair, holding his fringe back from his face, his sky blue eyes widened with shock and betrayal.

“Jason—.”

“I knew she was mad at me for—for the Aphrodisiac shit, but that’s just low.”

“She didn’t mean to tell me,” Nico admitted almost reluctantly. “It was an accident. She thought we had slept together, and then boom, Jace is a virgin.”

Nico made an exploding motion with his hands, his eyes widening with the exclamatory word almost childishly. “All I’m asking is, how the hell _you_ can be a virgin, and I’m n—.”

The son of Hades closed his mouth abruptly, averting his gaze rather quickly. But Jason had already figured out the rest of what he was going to say. “Wait…you’re…you’re not a virgin?” Jason’s embarrassment faded until it was only background noise in his mind.

Nico kept his mouth clenched shut tightly, his eyes fixed on the floor and his hands clasped tightly in his laps. “Nico…?”

The boy remained silent, and with each second that passed, Jason’s necessity for knowing grew. “ _Nico_ , you’re not—?”

“No, I’m not a virgin, _gods_ , are you happy?” Nico snapped, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

No, Jason was not happy. His insides felt numb, and the only thing he could feel at the moment was pure and unadulterated jealousy. The envy surged through him until it was all he could think about. Nico…Nico wasn’t a virgin? For some reason, that thought disturbed him. He had always thought the seemingly innocent—once you got to know him—son of Hades was as pure as can be. The same demigod he turned a candied apple red at the mere mention of anything sexual wasn’t a virgin?

Jason walked to the other side of his cabin distantly, pulling open one of the large dresser’s drawers, arranging and rearranging the clothes within. A few moments passed in silence, a thick tension hanging through the air as Jason heard Nico shift uncomfortably from his place on the blonde’s bed. “Jason?”

The older demigod remained silent for a moment, not trusting himself to speak without making his spite known. “Jason, please. Just say _something_.”

“ _Oh_ ,” the Roman responded tensely, a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt balled in his fist as he struggled to calm himself.

What was wrong with him? He never got like this, never. Jason didn’t let his negative emotions rule him, so what was going on? “’Oh?’” Nico repeated unsurely, “That’s all you have to say?”

“Congrats on losing your purity,” the son of Jupiter shot back, resentment seeping into his voice with the statement.

“Don’t say that,” Nico muttered, and Jason ignored that, already moving on to the next thing.

“So…who was it?”

“Why does it matter?” Nico retorted defensively.

Jason glanced over his shoulder, a dry look on his handsome features. “It’s just a question.”

“A question that I’m not answering.”

“Really, Nico?”

The young demigod remained silent, going back to messing with the string of the hoodie, a habit Jason noticed Nico only did when he was anxious. “At lease tell me if they’re at the camp.”

“Which one?” Nico murmured passively.

“You know which one.”

“Jason, it really isn’t a big—.”

“So why can’t you tell me then?”

Nico let out a long sigh of breath, his shoulders drooping in defeat. “Fine; he attends this camp, okay?”

“He?”

The boy’s cheeks darkened and he looked away with a silent nod. “Who’s his godly parent?” Jason tossed the now wrinkled shirt back into the drawer haphazardly, turning to face the younger half-blood fully.

“I’m done with this, okay? I don’t want to talk about it,” Nico tipped his head forward momentarily, his dark locks shielding his eyes, as his hands stilled in their absent motions.

“But—.”

“No buts, just respect my decision; gods, you’re acting just like _him_.”

Jason knew he probably shouldn’t have—seeing as he hadn’t the slightest clue of who the mystery man might be— but he took the boy’s breathy mumble offensively. “Well excuse me and my shit.”

Nico’s head snapped up at that, his mouth falling open at Jason’s crude use of language. “Jason!”

“No need to get your panties in a bunch, Neeks, _I was only teasing_ ,” Jason’s brows rose challengingly as he repeated the words the son of Hades had previously spoken.

“And there’s no need for you to be a complete as—.”

“If you complete that sentence, you just might hurt my feelings,” Jason’s blue eyes flashed dangerously, matching the look within the younger teen’s orbs. “Proceed with caution, _angel_.”

“What are you gonna do, blow up another statue?” Nico spat, jerking his head towards the newly repaired statue of Zeus, towering over both demigods threateningly, the look in those hard eyes almost daring Jason to do it again.

Surprisingly, Jason felt no amount of emotion at Nico’s malicious words. “What, was that supposed to _hurt_ me?” Jason snapped.

“Believe me, if I wanted to hurt you, I could have done it already,” Nico growled out, his chin lifting with defiance.

“And believe me, you’ve done it already. I was sent to Camp Jupiter for a reason, remember?” Jason deadpanned.

“Don’t play ‘Mister Innocent,’ you’ve hurt me as well—.”

“Me, me, me, me, _me_! That’s all it is with you. Everything always has to be about you. Don’t you realize you’re not the only one with problems in your life, you may have suffered more than others, but doesn’t mean anyone else’s problem are insignificant to yours!”

Nico looked taken aback by Jason’s words, his dark eyes slightly widened. “You’re selfish, completely and utterly selfish. Even when _you_ hurt someone—yes you, shocker, I know—you don’t even think about them, you only think about yourself and how _guilty_ you are. It’s all about self pity with you, isn’t it?”

“Well you know what?” Jason continued - his hands shoved into his pockets to keep them from clenching. “The whole world does not revolve around you. There are other inhabitants; we exist too you know, _I_ exist.”

“That…that’s not fair,” Nico croaked out.

“It may not be fair, but it’s the truth.”

Outside of the door, Jason heard the bustling movements of the campers, heading towards the pavilion for dinner. “We’ll finish this later,” he mumbled, disregarding the ache in his chest at the saddened look in the boy’s eyes, his dark bangs flopping onto his forehead as he nodded, shuffling over to the door, the blonde at his side.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico felt like a complete and utter asshole.

He scooted his mashed potatoes around on his plate absently, occasionally molding them into strange shapes as he let his mind wander. First and foremost, he had kissed the son of Jupiter, had _demanded_ that Jason kiss, and dared him to do so. And the most troubling thing about that was he enjoyed it.

More than he enjoyed kissing Percy.

Kissing Percy was like being submerged in water, drowned in enormous tidal waves of pleasure that kept coming one after another, not in rapid succession, but with a short wait after each one crashed into him, his bliss building until his mind was a complete haze.

Nico used to believe Percy’s kisses were the best feeling in the world. That was until he kissed Jason.

Jason’s kisses stole his breath away all at once, every trail of his fingertips across Nico’s skin—even the most chaste touches—had an electrifying effect on the son of Hades, the pleasure behind the kisses hitting him all at once, not disappearing until the Roman released his hold over him, and even then, it lasted for moments after. Kissing Jason seemed to fry his brain, no other thoughts permitted to enter unless it had something to do with the son of Jupiter, and how he felt, tasted, along with the effect of what he was doing. When kissing the blonde, Nico had wondered if _that’s_ what it felt like to be electrocuted, to wonder if you were going to survive the intensity of the voltage wrought upon you, damaging you on the inside, and wrecking you on the outside. If that was truly what it felt like, Nico wouldn’t hesitate to ask to be electrocuted over and over again—as long as it was by a certain blonde, heroic demigod.

 _Well, that wasn’t pathetic at all di Angelo_ , he thought dryly, patted his _mushed_ potatoes with his fork.

“Playing with your food isn’t very well… _mannered_ ,” a familiar dulcet, yet irritating voice pointed out beside him.

“And inviting yourself where you’re not welcomed is very ill mannered as well.”

Nico spared a glance at the daughter of Aphrodite just in time to see his overly glossed lips twist into a pout. “You’re pretty mean to me, Nico.”

The younger demigod let a sigh spill from his lips, his eyes fixed distantly on the plate before him, mixing his green beans into his potatoes. “Seriously, di Angelo?” Drew’s upper lip was curled in disgust, and Nico was surprised to see that there was no real heat behind the action.

“If you don’t like it, you can go back to your table, you know, _where you’re supposed to be_.”

“But you just look so lonely over here, I thought I’d keep you company.”

“Well I don’t want your company, so leave me alone.”

Drew let out a soft sigh, tipping her head back almost irritably. “One would think you’d be appreciative of the fact that I’m actually trying to be _nice_ to you. Just because it doesn’t happen a lot, doesn’t mean it can’t happen at all,” the dark-haired beauty made to stand, and on impulse, Nico’s hand shot out, tentatively falling onto her forearm.

“No, I…I’m sorry,” he muttered, averting his gaze, surprised by his own action. “I’m just…”

“Not in a good place right now?” Drew murmured, her smooth voice taking on a comforting quality Nico had never heard before.

He shrugged. “Something along those lines.”

“I’ve been told I’m a good listener,” Drew prompted, drawing out the last word suggestively.

Nico snorted, casting the girl a dubious glance. “You’re also unsurpassable at gossiping as well.”

Drew shrugged disinterestedly, her dark locks shifting with the movement. “That’s true, but even _I_ know there are some things too personal to put out there.”

Nico remained silent, mulling over the Asian girl’s words, her light-ish brown orbs studying him all the while. Even _if_ she was being nice to him—an action that was probably for a limited time—Nico didn’t trust Drew enough, or at all even, with a secret; especially not the ones he was keeping. “Does it have anything to do with why Piper is staring you down?”

The younger demigod didn’t even have to look to see what the daughter of Aphrodite was talking about. He had felt Piper’s eyes burning into the back of his head ever since he and Jason had shuffled into the dining pavilion silently, each demigod going their separate ways as soon as they were close enough to their designated places. “When isn’t she glaring at me?” Nico pointed out dryly, splitting open his green beans with his fork.

“She has a good reason to be upset with you. I mean, I’d be infuriated if my _bisexual_ boyfriend, ex or no, was hanging out with such a cutie on a regular basis. I mean _come on_ , both of you sleep in one another’s cabins; you must be delirious if you can keep your hands to yourself around Jason, or vice versa.”

“Wait…Jason’s bi?”

“Well _duh_. I mean, he hasn’t officially said it, but I can see it. Especially in the way he looks at you most times. He practically eye fucks you and I’m almost positive he doesn’t even realize it.”

Nico felt his cheeks flame with embarrassment. “He does _not_.”

“Oh yes he does,” Drew sighed dreamily, “What I wouldn’t give to be in your place. You’ve got two of the hottest half-bloods at the camp under your thumb. I had no idea you were such a… _player_ , Nico. You could even pass for a son of Aphrodite.”

The son of Hades froze at that, forcing himself to keep his well-placed mask of composure at her words, though diligently ignoring the last part of her statement. “Two?”

He could feel Drew watching him closely to gauge his reaction, for what reason, he had no idea. “Yeah, Jason and… _Percy_.”

In that moment, Nico was almost positive Drew knew something she probably shouldn’t have known. From the way the sympathy was showing in her bright eyes, to the cautious thought put into every word she spoke. Nico tightened his hand around his fork, forcing himself to continue his actions with an unnatural nonchalance he was sure the daughter of Aphrodite had noticed. “Percy…?” he tossed a purposefully confused glance in her direction.

Drew absently twirled a strand of glossy, dark hair around her forefinger, nodding slowly. “Yes, Percy.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Do you really need to ask that? I mean, he cares about you—.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Nico snapped, stabbing his fork into his grilled chicken, the sound of metal hitting porcelain ringing through the air quietly.

Drew’s eyes sparkled with something along the line of triumph, and Nico wondered if he had just given her an answer she had be hoping for. “So, why…” the pretty Asian trailed off, stiffening so slightly, Nico wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. That was until the subject of their conversation waltzed straight up to them, a tight smile fixed on his all-too-handsome features.

And in that quick moment, thoughts that Nico could only describe as strictly _Jason_ began running ramped through his mind, and he kept his gaze on his chaotic plate, a blush of guilt taking up residence on his cheeks. Gods, why did everything have to be so confusing? Why did Jason have to be so sweet, and accepting, and why did Percy have to be such a secretive ass? Why couldn’t it be the other way around? Nico was _in love_ with Percy, he didn’t _want_ the feelings Jason made him have, and he didn’t want to feel so relaxed around him, and so terribly anxious and unnatural around the son of Poseidon.

But then again, if he wanted Percy so much—wanted his attention, affection, love—why did he kiss Jason? Why did he let Jason kiss him, so easily, without a fight? Why had he asked for more, mentally as well as physically? “Nico, I’m talking to you,” Percy snapped, tapping his foot against the glossy granite floor impatiently.

Nico flinched, startled from his reverie at the angry tone in the older demigod’s voice. What had he done now? “Sorry, I just…sorry.”

“Sorry?” Percy’s dark brows rose, a dry expression on his face. “Okay, sure.”

Nico turned back to his plate of food, studying the mess he made as if it held all the secrets to the unknown—held the secrets to his questions as well as muddled emotions. “Can you at least look at me when I talk to you?”

“You haven’t said anything yet, so—.”

“Well I’m talking now, so I’d be _rather_ appreciative if you could give me at least two damn minutes of your time.”

Nico brows furrowed apprehensively, and he leaned to the side and into the girl next to him, having forgotten about the daughter of Aphrodite sitting there and watching the whole scene unfold. Drew placed a surprisingly reassuring hand on Nico’s back as the younger teen turned completely, facing the son of the sea god completely. “Yes, Percy?” Nico let out a deep breath through his nose, noticing the way the sound made Percy stiffen even further.

“We need to talk.”

“So talk,” the younger half-blood prompted, puzzled by the animosity behind Percy’s words.

“Alone.”

Nico paused at that, his hands clenching nervously in his lap. He didn’t want to talk to Percy right now, not when he was a hectic ball of emotions, not sure whether he would laugh or cry, smile or frown, in the next moment. He couldn’t add any other unwanted emotions to that mix right now, he needed to get himself together first. “Later.”

“No, right now,” Percy reached out, attempting to snag Nico’s wrist in his hand, making the young Italian yank his limb out of reach jerkily.

“ _Later_ ,” Nico insisted, his eyes darting around nervously as he noticed a few campers starting to stare. They were probably wondering if there would be fallout between him and Percy, and if so, who’d be the one walk away with a bloody nose this time around.

Percy’s fist clenched around empty air, his eyes squeezing shut with his frustration for a moment. Nico didn’t know _why_ Percy was so on edge at the moment, didn’t know what he’d done to make the son of Poseidon so angry, but he knew it must have been something bad if the hero was treating him this way. “Nico. I said right now, so let’s go,” Percy’s voice was louder than before, not loud enough to be classified as yelling, but most definitely loud enough to make everyone aware of something was going down at the Hades table.

“And I said _later_ ,” Nico hissed, lowering his voice in an attempt to keep the older demigod calm.

“Right. Now.”

“I—.”

“He said he doesn’t want to talk to you right now, Percy, so run along,” Drew’s dulcet voice was strong, unwavering, her eyes screaming for Percy to challenge her words.

“This doesn’t involve you,” Percy retorted, his eyes still fixed on the son of Hades.

“It doesn’t have to. Just leave him _alone_. Haven’t you done enough already?” Drew’s voice rose slightly, and Nico’s head whipped around to her direction, his heart picking up its pace at her words.

“Drew,” he whispered insistently, trying to get the girl’s attention.

She merely brushed him off, her eyes hard as she stared at the hero of Olympus, who had finally shifted his attention to her. “Enough?” Percy asked skeptically, “Do tell what you mean by that.”

Drew squared her shoulders, tossing her dark locks dramatically. “You humiliated him in front of the majority of the camp, and I know, ‘ _Drew_ chastising someone over public humiliation?’” she waved a perfectly manicured hand dismissively. “A little humiliation never hurt anyone, but you didn’t humiliate him only a _little_ —.”

“I realize that,” Percy bit out, “And I apologized already, we’ve already gotten over this.”

The look of contempt didn’t fade from Drew’s light orbs, merely darkened with every second that passed. But before she could open her mouth to speak, another voice sounded to close by. “Nico?”

The teen in question turned at the sound of that calming voice, his frayed nerves smoothing over as Jason approached him; keeping a wary eye on Percy, and casting a surprised look at the daughter of Aphrodite. “You okay?” Jason stopped at his side, placing a concerned hand on his shoulder, the anger he had previously felt at the son of Hades evidently no more.

Nico nodded, resisting the urge to lean into that hand, helped by the look Percy was giving him. “What’s going on?” Jason directed the question at Drew, who gave him a flirty smile after she gave Percy one last glare.

“We were just talking,” she said cheerfully. “Percy was just trying to steal this cutie away from me. I couldn’t have that.”

Drew’s voice was a suggestive purr, and even though her words were obviously in regards to him, he couldn’t help his discomfort at the fawning looks she was giving the son of Jupiter. Nico looked up at Jason, his upper lip curling ever so slightly at the sweet, appreciative look the blonde was giving back to the daughter of Aphrodite. “I see, well thanks for watching over this rascal—.”

Nico swatted Jason’s hand from his shoulder, a sound akin to a growl building in the back of his throat. “Watching over me? I’m _not_ a child.”

“No, you’re most definitely not,” Drew cooed, running a hand through Nico’s dark locks.

Gods that girl was weird. She was strangely kind and accepting in one moment, then back to a flirtatious predator in another. Nico tilted away from the female demigod’s hand, her fingers sliding out of his locks with little to no resistance. “Your hair is so smooth!” Drew exclaimed, her hands darting out to delve into his thick locks again, much more eagerly this time.

“If you don’t mind me interrupting; I still need to talk to you, Nico,” Percy’s voice held a little less anger than it had previously, and some of the tension from Nico’s frame faded away because of it.

“Can we just talk later? Please?” he cringed at the pleading tone of his voice, and he felt Jason tense beside him because of it.

“Fine,” Percy muttered after a moment of silence, turning on his heel and walking straight out of the pavilion.

“What was that about?” the corners of Jason’s lips were tipped up in an amused smile as he watched Nico continued to dodge Drew’s wandering hands.

“I don’t know, he’s always being weird, he’ll—Drew stop it!—calm down eventually, just give him time—don’t put your hands there!” Nico swatted Drew’s devious hands from the apex of his thighs, his legs squeezing together to keep her hands from sliding to his inner thigh once more.

Drew poked out her lower lip, crossing her arms over her supple chest petulantly. “You’re no fun,” she whined.

“How the hell is  _molesting_ me fun?!” Nico exclaimed, the ever-present blush on his cheek darkening as a few campers looked in his direction, one of those few being Leo, who tipped his head to the side in confusion.

“It’s not molesting, it’s just… _heavy petting_ ,” Drew trailed her fingertips over the boy’s thigh, nearly making him fall out of his seat as he scooted away from her.

“It’s freaky and gross— _Drew_!” Nico slapped the girl’s hand away as she made a grab for his crotch.

“What? I only want to know how big you—.”

“Jason, make her stop!” Nico squeezed his eyes shut, a familiar sense of mortification washing over him.

“Come on, Drew,” Jason tried, giving the girl a stern look.

“What? Feeling a little left out Jason? You can join in too if you want, I’ve never been opposed to threesomes.”

“I’ll pass,” Jason’s golden brows rose and Nico hopped up from his seat, darting behind the son of Jupiter, his eyes as wide as saucers.

“Nico, what are you—?”

“She grabbed my ass!” Nico yelped, shying behind the Roman demigod at the purely predatory look the daughter of the love goddess was giving him.

Jason scowled slightly. “Drew—.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll stop, until you leave,” she murmured devilishly.

Jason turned, facing the younger demigod fully. “What’s up with her?”

His voice was soft and barely audible, and Nico was positive even Drew, a demigod accustomed to eavesdropping, couldn’t hear him. “I dunno. She’s being strangely… _nice_.”

“Really? On my shoes?!” Drew snapped at a camper Nico recognized belonged to the Hermes cabin. “Do you know how much these cost?!”

“There’s the Drew we know and loathe,” Nico muttered, his lips twitching with amusement as the son of Hermes, who had spilled a few drops of soda on Drew’s designer shoes, dumped the whole cup on her footwear.

The sound that came out of the daughter of Aphrodite’s mouth was solely animalistic as she darted for the shaggy-haired camper claws first. Jason made a surprised sound as he reached out, snagging Drew around the waist and pulling her flush against his muscled chest. “Let go!” Drew growled out, struggling against his hold, her rage increasing as the camper merely began laughing.

A split second later, the same cackling camper had a face full of Nico’s earlier mess, his laughing completely silenced as the plate slid hit the granite, shattering upon contact. “Bruce!” Chiron’s stern voice rang throughout the pavilion, and the campers grew quiet as the centaur approached the son of Hermes, now identified as Bruce.

“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded, motioning the mess on the floor as well as he face.

“I didn’t do it!” the teen insisted, wiping mashed potatoes from his eyes.

“Do you really expect me to believe that?” Chiron asked dryly, “Just last week you dumped bucket loads of raw meat into the lava climbing wall!”

Bruce grinned mischievously as his siblings snickered from their table. “That was brilliant; you have to admit it, Chiron.”

“I was not amused, just as I am not now. You will have dish duty for a week, in addition to the two weeks of cleaning the pavilion you initially had.”

“What?! But I—.”

“I suggest you begin by cleaning up this mess you have made. Everyone else, go and get ready for capture the flag.”

The campers cheered loudly, though the loudest cheers originated from the Ares and Nike cabins. “Jason,” Chiron began, as the blonde released the daughter of Aphrodite, who planted a glossy kiss on his cheek, much to Nico’s displeasure. “If you’ll come with me, we have important matters to speak of regarding your visit to Olympus.”

Jason gave Nico a fleeting smile before he followed after the centaur, leaving Nico alone with Drew, whose face immediately sobered upon the blonde’s departure. “And you and I need to speak as well.”

Nico let out a loud sigh, “Why is it that everyone is demanding my attention all of a sudden?”

“This is important, okay?”

The raven-haired demigod frowned at the desperate note in the girl’s voice. “Just let me talk to Percy first, and then I’ll—.”

Drew’s eyes darted around warily for a moment, before she grabbed Nico’s hand, dragging him from the pavilion rather forcefully and towards Fireworks Beach. “Drew, let go!” Nico protested; surprised at the rather strong grip the girl had on him.

She ignored him, silently trudging to the beach, dismissing Nico’s command for release. The daughter of Aphrodite let the boy go as they reached the sandy beach; nearly making him stumble to the ground. “What do you want?” Nico sighed, rubbing his wrist petulantly.

Drew watched him silently for a moment, a look of trepidation on her beautiful features. Nico rolled his eyes. “If you dragged me all the way out here just to stare—.”

“I know,” the female demigod blurted out, her hands fidgeting at her sides.

Nico paused in his soothing ministrations, his dark brows rising curiously. “You know…?” he asked skeptically, the corners of his lips tipping down in a frown.

The pretty Asian half-blood nodded nervously, biting down on her glossy lower lip momentarily. “Yeah, I…I _know_.”

“I’m not exactly sure what it is that you know, but…congrats?” Nico’s brows furrowed at the frustrated look that crossed the girl’s features.

“Nico—.”

“Drew, I really need to go. Can’t you just—.”

“No, I really have to—.”

“I have to go talk to Percy.”

“No, you don’t—.”

“Yes I do,” Nico insisted, turning to walk back in the direction of the pavilion, stopping only when Drew grabbed his wrist once more, a determined look on her face.

“Nico, I _know_ ,” the tone of her voice was suggestive, not sexually so, but suggestive with a tone that implied that the younger demigod should know exactly what it was she was talking about.

“Drew, seriously, let go,” Nico hissed, yanking his wrist from the girl’s grasp quite easier than he would have suspected considering the fight the daughter of Aphrodite had put up in dragging him out to the beach.

“Nico—.”

“We can talk later, okay?” Nico reassured her, beginning his trek back to the pavilion where he was sure the son of Poseidon was looking for him.

Nico ignored Drew’s frantic calls, refusing to stop until he heard the last statement the daughter of the love goddess blurted out, his blood running cold at the words he had only dreamt of hearing from someone else’s mouth—and those specific dreams had been _nightmares_. “You _what_?” Nico croaked out, his eyes wide and full of horror as he jerkily turned back towards the fumbling demigod, praying that he had merely imagined the words that had spewed from the girl’s glossy lips.

Drew took a deep breath, wringing her hands nervously, the action battling with the confident way she lifted her chin, her bright eyes pleading for the boy to believe her. “I know…I know that you and Percy are sleeping together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *grins*  
> Alright guys, keep in mind, Percy is quite distressed at the moment, for reasons you will find out about in the next chapter.  
> He's not switching up to some psycho rapist, I promise. -o-/


	13. And I'm Ready to Jump

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It wasn't enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guuuuuuuuuys (and gaaaaals).  
> Like seriously. I luff you all so much for leaving all these amazing comments as well as kudos, it's sickening. <3  
> Thanks again to my amazing beta Wookiecookie, who helps me to get my spelling and grammar shiz together. And thanks to Rhea Horan as well, who once again helped me to get this chapter moving. [:  
> As always, (I should seriously like copyright this phrase since I using it so fucking much) praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcomed. E n j o y. [ ;

** Annabeth’s POV **

Annabeth delved her hands into her thick, blonde locks, fisting her hair into her scalp as it began to sting by the force. Her stormy gray eyes squeezing shut, blocking out the rest of the world, the sounds of celestial bronze weapons clashing together in combat mere buzzing in the back of her mind as she attempted to keep her mind from straying to certain sea green orbs and a loving smile. She shook her head, sliding her hands from her hair slowly as she swallowed around the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. _Don’t think about it. Don’t think about. **Don’t** break down_ , she reminded herself, absently nodding in agreement with her thoughts.

Her eyes flickered open at the harsh sound of Clarisse’s voice, the burly redhead snatching a rather large scythe from the hands of a timid son of Hebe who was too afraid of hurting the camper he was opposing, along with his struggle of holding the heavy weapon in his small hands. The boy was around the age of six, with the oldest being eight, which made him one of the youngest campers at camp. Annabeth shook herself of her dreamlike state, a frown forming on her lips at the nervous whimpering sounds spilling from the boy’s adorable bow shaped lips; she knew Clarisse was being too harsh on him, if the tears beginning to brew in the boy’s eyes meant anything. She knew she should have been helping the younger campers’ master a few tricks before capture the flag, but she couldn’t focus. Not right now. But she would try. “Really, Callum?” Clarisse shouted at the young strawberry blonde boy, making his small shoulders hunch in shame as he flinched back simultaneously. “If this was an actual battle, and you showed your enemy that type of mercy, you’d be dead in an instant!”

“Hey, cut him some slack!” an average sized teen that Annabeth recognized as Cayden, a son of Hebe, as well as Callum’s brother through blood in addition to godly parentage, pushed forward from the back of the pack to drape his arm around the cowering boy’s shoulder. “He’s only just six, you can’t really expect him to be able to hurt, much less _kill_ someone or something so easily.”

Cayden lifted his chin as Clarisse turned her glare on him, the boy’s windblown strawberry blonde locks falling away from his bright, youthful eyes at the movement. Annabeth’s breath caught as she was reminded of Percy in the brazenly foolish way the young teen presented himself.

 _Percy_.

Annabeth immediately shoved the thought of her boyfriend out of her mind for the time being as she watched Cayden step in front of the sniffling son of Hebe as Clarisse took a step forward. She really had to step in before it turned serious. She stood from her spot on the seats of the arena, taking a deep breath before she called the attention towards herself. “Hey, Callum?”

The young demigod peeked from behind Cayden’s back, his small fists bunched in the preteen’s camp T-shirt as he stared at Annabeth with wide, childish, bright hazel eyes. His blondish curls—opposed to his brother’s wavy ones—jolting on his head with the movement. Annabeth gave him the most reassuring smile she could muster. “Why don’t you come and sit over here with me?”

The strawberry blonde boy looked up, casting a nervous look at his older brother who gave him a bright smile before he nodded his consent. Callum reluctantly released his sibling’s shirt, timidly shuffling over to where Annabeth stood, his eyes fixed on the ground the whole way over. At the time it took for the boy to stand before her, Annabeth remembered his and Cayden’s, the half-blood the son of Iris probably identified as his older brother. Just a few months back Annabeth and Piper had rescued the two boys from an orphanage, where they had been alienated and neglected because of the strange occurrences that had happened around them. Because of that, the two boys had grown distrustful of anyone who wasn’t one or the other. It hadn’t taken a lot of the owner of the orphanage to release the boys to the care of Annabeth and Piper, despite their young ages.

The two were strange for sons of Hebe, the goddess of youth who didn’t have many children, at least that the Camp Half-Blood housed. Her children were usually trusting and social, always seeking to make others happy, but these two…they usually kept to themselves, Sure, they could socialize exceptionally well when the need arose, and they had the youthful of appearances that were typical of children of their mother, but they were closed off, and Annabeth remember Cayden being almost cold on the occasions she had attempted to get to know him better. And not only that, but Cayden refused to let his younger brother, Callum out of his sight, and in return, Callum never strayed from his older brother’s side; but Annabeth could respect that no matter how much she wish for the boys to at least try and fit in a little better—she knew traumatizing experiences better than most after all.

Slowly, Annabeth lowered herself into a squat, inwardly grimacing at the way the young demigod shuffled away from her, his small hands fisted at his sides defiantly. “You know, I was seven when I came to this camp, almost as old as you are now,” Annabeth started off tenderly, feeling a small spark of triumph at the way the boy perked at her words, though his eyes remained trained on the ground sheepishly.

“Really?” the small demigod asked softly, his adolescent voice sweet and gentle.

“Mhm.”

“How old are you now?”

“Seventeen, I’ll be eighteen in about a month or so.”

The boy’s pert nose scrunched up in distaste, accentuating the light dusting of freckles along his nose. “You’re old!”

Annabeth couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her lips despite the mood she was in. “You think?”

Callum nodded eagerly, his strawberry blonde fringe flopping on his forehead enthusiastically as he finally met her eyes. “My big brother is only thirteen, he’s a grown up, just like you and Daddy!”

Annabeth nodded politely as the six year-old smiled shyly at her, averting his eyes once more. “So, what do you like to do Callum?”

“Make stuff,” the boy murmured softly, seeming to remember himself as he shuffled back a few steps.

“Stuff? Like swords and weapons?”

Callum’s eyes widened slightly, and he shook his head nervously. “I-I don’t like swords, they hurt people.”

The daughter of Athena nodded her understanding. “Then what do you like to make?”

The young demigod shrugged, toeing at the ground nervously before a voice behind him answered in his stead. “He likes crafting, stuff like this,” Cayden held out his wrist for Annabeth to observe the intricately made bracelet on his wrist.

Even for a girl whose mother was the goddess of weaving, Annabeth had to admit that she was impressed. The bracelet strewn together with almost every array of brown she could think of, and despite the dull colors, the wristlet was beautiful. “Who made this?” she asked in awe, reaching out to get a feel of the materials.

Before she could even brush her fingertips over of the armlet, Cayden snatched his arm back, staring at Annabeth with blank, distrustful eyes that matched nearly matched Callum’s except for the more greenish tone in his versus his brother’s browner coloring. “Callum,” Cayden draped a defensive arm around his brother’s shoulders, pulling the boy’s smaller frame into his side.

Annabeth nibbled her lower lip absently, mentally assessing the situation carefully. She knew she couldn’t let Callum stay here and distract his older brother from his pregame training, nor could she take both demigods from the arena in order to find something more suited to Callum’s capabilities. It would be difficult, seeing as whenever she spotted the two, they were side-by-side, never alone for more than a second. “Callum, would you like to make more bracelets for your brother?”

“Can I?” the boy asked hopefully, his doe eyes glistening with excitement.

“Of course you can,” Annabeth smiled, sparing a glance that the older brother who was still watching her warily, his eyes narrowing at her words.

“What’s the catch?” he drawled carefully, pulling his brother more firmly to his side.

Callum looked up at his brother, and as soon as he got a good look at the elder’s face, he was gripping the teen’s khaki cargos nervously. “Well, I would have to take him to the arts-and-craft building—.”

“No.” Cayden cut across her tersely, ignoring the slump in his younger brother’s shoulders. “He can stay here, with me.”

Annabeth sighed softly, wincing at the numbing sensation spreading throughout her legs due to the position she was currently situated in. “Look, no one’s out to get you here. We’re all a family,” her words were directed towards the older of the two, who merely sneered in a way someone as young as he shouldn’t have been able to.

“No, _we’re_ a family,” he snapped, nodding towards his brother, “Only us—.”

“And Daddy,” Callum said softly, “Don’t forget about Daddy.”

A pained look crossed the teen’s features, and as fast as if came, it disappeared even faster. “Yes, and…Dad.”

“I understand that, but Callum can’t stay here, he’s distracting you, and even if he wasn’t he’s too young to be doing this. If he stays, Clarisse will probably make him play with all of you, do you really want that?”

Cayden’s gaze drifted down to his sibling, who in return, was watching Annabeth closely, his warm eyes straying over her crouched form cautiously. “I’ll have him back to you before the campfire begins, okay?”

“But that means you can’t play capture the flag with the rest of us,” Cayden’s brows scrunched in a vigilant confusion as he watched Annabeth shrug.

“I’m not really in the mood for it tonight, so I’ll stay behind with him.”

“Why?”

“Because I have nothing against any of you. I’m not going to hurt him, Cayden.”

Cayden’s hand tightened on one side of his brother’s small shoulder absently, and Annabeth sighed in return. “Has anyone ever told you the significance of the River Styx?”

Cayden nodded slowly, eyeing her curiously at her question. “And you’re aware that once someone swears on the Styx, they can’t break their oath…?”

The teen nodded once more, his head tilting to the side slightly at her words. “Then I swear on the River Styx that I won’t hurt Callum, and that I’ll get him back to you before the campfire begins.”

Gradually, the tension from Cayden’s body faded away until the fight was drained from his stance. “O-Okay. Just…while you’re watching him, don’t let him too close to sharp objects, he’s too curious and he’ll hurt himself, oh yeah, and he’s also clumsy—.”

“Hey! No I’m not!” Callum’s cherubic face began to turn a sweet pink color as he began tugging insistently on his older brother’s pants.

“—so make sure you help him over or down places with lifts or dips, he has trouble doing it because his legs are so short—.”

“Cay, stop it, you’re being an embarrassing,” Callum whined ill temperedly.

“How can I be ‘an embarrassing’?” the teen teased, grinning down at his brother before ruffling his hair lovingly.

Annabeth smiled at the display, before she spoke once more. “Anything else?”

Cayden nodded quickly, his smile fading instantly as he heard Clarisse calling for everyone to start heading into the woods for the game. “He tends to wander off, so keep a close eye on him,” the older son of Hebe covered his brother’s ears, much to the younger’s dismay, “He’s also terribly sensitive, so be careful of what you say to him.”

“I wanna hear too!” Callum struggled to remove his brother’s hands from over his ears, his face scrunched up unpleasantly.

“He’ll probably get hungry soon, so—.”

“I’ll sneak him something from the kitchen,” Annabeth assured the teen, nodding towards the group of demigods who were beginning to head towards the forest. “You’d better get going.”

Cayden paused nervously before he nodded, leaning down to press a quick kiss to the top if his brother’s head as he removed his hands from the boy’s ears. “Behave, okay, Cal?”

Callum nodded, watching uneasily as his older brother jogged over to the pack of campers, immediately mingling with a few of his half-siblings, but never smiling as genuinely as he did with his younger brother, Annabeth noticed. “Is he gonna die?” Callum asked suddenly, his lips twisted into a frown.

“No! Of course not, he’s just playing a game.”

“Why can’t I play?”

“Because it’s a game for…bigger kids,” Annabeth stopped herself from jumping as she felt the boy’s small hand close around her own, tugging her closer despite the precarious position she was already in.

“C’mere,” the young demigod muttered, his eyes wide and pleading as he shifted from foot-to-foot.

Annabeth leaned towards the boy as he cupped his hands around her ear, his voice coming out in a soft whisper. “I have to pee real bad.”

The daughter of Athena couldn’t help the smile that slipped past her lips as the usually quiet boy transformed before her eyes, a bright, innocent pout taking up residence on his sweet features as he danced from side-to-side, his small hands cupped around his nether regions. “Alright, we can stop at my cabin first, okay?”

Callum nodded eagerly as Annabeth rose to her feet, holding out her hand warily, wondering if the younger son of Hebe would reject her touch just as his older brother had done previously. Much to her slight dismay, Callum shied away from her hand, gnawing his lower lip between his adolescent teeth. “It’s okay, Callum,” she said softly, a slight, reassuring smile on her lips as the younger of the two stared at her hand nervously.

Carefully, the six year-old placed his hand within her own, and Annabeth marveled at the softness of his palm as well as fingers that had yet to be marred with the grip of a weapon. And secretly, she hoped it never would have to be so. Annabeth led the young boy away from the arena, carefully to shorter her strides in order for Callum to keep up. “Annie?”

Annabeth paused at the name, her brows furrowing slightly at the impromptu nickname the boy had given to her. “Yes?”

“Do you know who my mommy is?”

Annabeth’s head tipped to the side slightly, a small frown taking up residence on her lips. “Your brother didn’t tell you.”

Callum averted his eyes to the ground, stumbling slightly over a rough patch of ground before Annabeth steadied him on his feet. The young demigod nodded rapidly, gripping the daughter of Athena’s hands as he responded. “I forgot her name.”

“Her name is Hebe,” Annabeth muttered, hoping that was the last of his questions. She didn’t want to be the one to explain the boy’s heritage to him. That was something for his older brother to do, or at least Chiron; it wasn’t her place.

But alas, her prayers weren’t answer. “Where is she?”

“Probably on Olympus.”

After a moment of silence, Callum spoke again, digging his heels into the ground to get Annabeth to stop walking. “What does she look like? Like me and Cay?”

This time, it was Annabeth’s turn to worry her lower lip between her teeth. “I…I don’t really know, Callum. I’ve only seen her a few times.”

And it was the truth. From the few times Annabeth had gone to Olympus, she had only caught sight of the goddess of youth once or twice. And what little she could remember from those times was a youthful looking woman with a brilliant smile who was usually plastered to her husband, Hercules' side. Callum’s angelic face fell, and he grew silent, his small hand loosening its hold on the older demigod’s.

Annabeth let out a small sigh as they reached the Athena cabin, and she led the young son of Hebe inside, barely showing him the direction of the bathroom before he yanked his hand free and darted off to the toilets. Annabeth turned in the direction of her bunk, absently walking over and smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles in the blanket.

She wanted Callum to hurry back. She couldn’t handle the silence at the moment, didn’t want her thoughts running ramped right now. No, she wouldn’t let herself sink into a pit of self pity, not right now. But as she sat still in the deafening silence, she gave up on fighting her mind, letting her thoughts loose.

Percy was cheating on her.

She flinched at the first thought that came to the forefront of her mind, lowering herself down onto her mattress and pulling her knees up to her chest. She closed her eyes, thinking back on the conversation she and Leo had had when they were in New Rome retrieving Jason.

~*~

Annabeth turned as she heard Leo curse to himself for the umpteenth time, his dark brows furrowed beneath his unruly curls. “What is it, Leo?” she sighed, brushing a few locks behind her ear, only to have them fall back in place much to her irritation.

The son of Hephaestus looked up so fast, Annabeth was surprised she didn’t hear his neck snap. The blonde’s brows rose amusedly as Leo’s mouth flapped open and shut silently for a few moments before he evidently found words. “I…nothing.”

Annabeth sighed teasingly, a slight smile on her lips as she spoke. “C’mon, we fought through the Giant War together and you don’t trust me enough to tell me what’s troubling you? I would think I’d earned your trust after saving your life a few dozen times.”

The daughter of Athena’s brows soon furrowed in confusion as the teen’s face immediately fell, his ochre eyes dropping to the ground. “Leo…?”

The demigod remained silent, and Annabeth instantly ran through the words she had previously spoken, searching for anything that might have put the Latino in such a state. “I was only kidding, Leo. If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine, I’ll just mind my business—.”

“Damn, why do you have to be so…nice to me? You’re making this so much harder,” Leo said dryly, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes taking up residence on his impish features.

“Making what harder?” Annabeth’s eyes narrowed critically as the younger teen cursed quietly, shoving a hand through his dark locks.

“Look, I’m just gonna say it. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do,” he muttered the last part to himself quietly, making Annabeth’s eyes narrow further at the trepidation thick in his voice.

“Okay,” Annabeth dragged out the word slightly as Leo’s hands began fidgeting faster than usual.

“Here we go…Per—shit, I can’t _do_ this!”

Annabeth’s eyes widened slightly at Leo’s explosion, his oil stained hands thrown up in the air helplessly. “Why did _I_ have to be the one to find out? Dammit, I’m always walking into shit I can’t handle!”

“Leo, calm down—.”

“I _can’t_!” he snapped, turning and glaring at the daughter of Athena before turning on his heel and facing the opposite direction. “You…you deserve to know, but I just don’t know how to say it right.”

Annabeth watched Leo warily as he continued mumbling to himself nervously, his hands delving into his tool belt and yanking out random gadgets, his hands fumbling briefly before he tossed aside a small contraption and began the process again and again until the daughter of Athena’s eyes began aching from following his abrupt actions. “Leo…Leo… _Leo stop_.”

Leo paused in the middle of creating another small machine, his hands inching towards the pockets of his tool belt once more. “Do it, and I’ll take it away,” Annabeth warned, inwardly grinning Leo guarded his tool belt defensively.

“Alright, start from the beginning, slowly—.”

“Percy’scheatingonyou,” he blurted out, fixing his eyes on a point beyond the girl before him.

Annabeth paused, her eyes narrowing into confused slits. He couldn’t have just said what she thought he did. “Could you repeat that?” she asked, cursing herself for the way her voice trembled ever so slightly.

Leo shook his head once, letting in exasperated sigh fall from his lips before he locked eyes with Annabeth for the first time since they had left Camp Half-Blood. “Percy…he’s cheating on you, okay?”

Annabeth’s gray eyes widened, her breath stalling in her lungs as she eyes the fidgeting teen before her. “Leo, if this is a joke, _it’s not funny_.”

“I’m not kidding around, Annabeth. I wish I was…but I’m not.”

Annabeth shook her head stubbornly, a familiar stinging sensation prickling the back of her eyes. “You’re lying.”

Leo’s expression turned from remorseful to fiercely defensive. “I’m not lying. I saw them kissing for gods’ sake. I swear it on the River Styx.”

Annabeth froze, waiting for a raging Zeus to leap from the sky and strike Leo down for swearing falsely on the river held sacred to the gods and half-bloods alike.

But nothing happened. And all of a sudden, she found it hard to breathe.

But she wouldn’t break down, no, she was stronger than that. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears that were attempting to force themselves out of her eyes away, and swallowing around the lump in her throat with some difficulty before she was positive she could speak without her words wavering.

When she opened her eyes, the stormy gray coloring of her orbs seemed to have shifted to a hard, gunmetal gray, her gaze emotionless as she crossed her arms over her chest stoically, praying that Leo didn’t see the tremble in his limbs. “Who is _them_?”

Leo cringed at the harsh, demanding sound of her voice. “…Nico.”

Annabeth turned her head, her blonde locks shielding her face as her eyes clenched shut against the world, her lower lip trembling uncontrollably before she bit down on the skin brutally, the bitter taste of her own blood springing forth at the unrelenting pressure she was putting on her lip, causing the skin to split. “Annabeth,” Leo started of warily, “I-I’m sorry—.”

“Let’s go get Jason,” Annabeth cut across, turning to look at the son of Hephaestus with impassive eyes, her stoic mask battling with the heavy emotion spreading through her very core, making her numb with the pain of her revelation.

~*~

“Annie?”

The soft voice snapped her from her thoughts, and she jerked her head up, her gaze immediately colliding with bright, innocent hazel orbs that widened slightly in confusion. “Why are you crying?” Callum asked, curiously, a slight edge of anxiety in his adolescent voice.

Annabeth stared at him in puzzled silence, until she felt wetness trickling down her skin. Her cheeks darkened slightly, as she turned away, swiping at her eyes furiously. “I…sorry.”

Callum blinked once, his head tipping to the side in a puppy like gesture. “S’okay. That’s what Cayden tells me when I cry.”

The son of Hebe scrambled onto the bed, parting Annabeth’s legs insistently and crawling between them until they were face-to-face, the boy’s brows furrowed with determination as he reached out, pushing the older demigods hands away from her eyes. “I can do it,” he muttered, wiping away her tears with his small hands.

Annabeth couldn’t help the watery laugh that slipped past her lips, inwardly wincing as it immediately turned into a choked sob. Callum’s angelic face was twisted with worry as he tried to catch the tears that were falling without avail. “Don’t cry, Annie,” he said softly, leaning forward and plopping a sweet kiss in her cheek before throwing his chubby arms around her neck and burying his head in her blonde locks.

Annabeth could only wrap her arms around the small demigod’s frame, biting her lower lip against the pitiful sounds that tried to force themselves out. The two half-bloods sat that way for a while, the younger of the two stroking Annabeth’s hair in a motion he hand probably mimicked from his older brother, as the older demigod eventually began to calm down, finding comfort in rather surprising—and _small_ —arms. “Thanks, Callum,” she whispered softly, giving the boy a small, shaky smile as he grinned at her, patting her cheek with a small, soft hand.

“You’re welcome!” he chirped, an adorable blush taking up residence on his cheeks as Annabeth reached out, ruffling his strawberry blonde curls that made him look disturbingly similar to the stereotypical image of baby Cupid, but all the more endearing.

Both demigods startled at the sound of knocking on the other side of the door, Callum unconsciously shifted closer to the older demigod. Annabeth smiled reassuringly, lifting the boy from his place between her legs and setting him on the floor before she stood, running a hand through her blonde locks. Callum stayed put as Annabeth approached the entry, scrubbing at her eyes one last time before pulling open the door. “Hey, Annabeth…”

Annabeth flinched back from the person at the door, her breath catching subtly as she forced her breathing to a steady pace. “Hey, Percy.”

Percy’s dark brows furrowed as he studied his girlfriend's slightly flushed, tearstained face, and his eyes lingering on her red tinted eyes for a moment before he spoke. “Have…have you been crying?”

“No,” she replied impassively, crossing her arms over her chest as she forced a tired sigh from her lips. “Can I help you?”

Percy was dressed in his armor from capture the flag, though Annabeth was almost positive the game had already begun. “I just wanted to see you for a few minutes.”

A bitter feeling took up residence in her chest, and she had to stop herself from speaking the words she so desperately wanted to fly from her lips. _What? You haven't seen Nico already?_

“Well, here I am,” she waved a limp hand towards her face, her brows risen expectantly as Percy watched her with a confusion she could tell was as forced as her calm.

Behind that mask of perplexity, Annabeth could see Percy’s poorly hidden unease. Annabeth couldn’t help the malicious smirk that took up residence on her lips temporarily. He was worried that she knew. And _know_ she did. _Good, let him work himself up over it_ , she hissed to herself before Percy spoke once again.

“You…you okay?”

“Dandy,” she said curtly, crossing her arms over her chest and casually leaning against the doorframe.

With no little amount of trepidation, she noticed, Percy leaned forward to catch Annabeth’s lips with his own, and at the last second, the daughter of Athena turned on her heel sharply, smiling easily at the son of Hebe who was observing the interaction warily. “You ready to go make some stuff?” she asked, taking a step forward as Percy’s hands brushed against her waist, attempting to pull her to him.

With a shaky breath, Percy leaned forward, settling for pressing his lips against Annabeth’s neck for a quick moment. Usually, Annabeth would have shuddered with bliss at his touch, but it was all she could do to not shy away from his hands that had probably trailed over Nico’s body, and his lips that had undoubtedly been pressed against the son Hades’ lips.

Annabeth smiled slightly as she noticed Callum’s sweet face twist into a severe scowl, as the boy darted forward, grabbing the female demigod’s hand and dragging her away from the son of Poseidon with little trouble probably due to the fact that Annabeth willingly went with him.

She turned to face Percy once she was at the insistent son of Hebe’s side, the expression on her _boyfriend’s_ face making her snicker to herself quietly. Percy immediately regained himself, fixing a bright smile on his face as he looked at the youngest demigod. “Hey there, little buddy.”

Callum merely snorted, sidling up to Annabeth’s side haughtily. Percy watched the boy, an appalled expression on his face. “Okay then, someone needs a nap, huh?”

The son of Hebe’s scowl darkened. “Naps are for _babies_. I’m six, I don’t take naps.”

Percy smiled slightly, stepping into the cabin and looked at Annabeth. “He sure is charming,” he said, nodding towards the strawberry blonde demigod.

“He sure is,” she answered truthfully, smiling as Callum pushed her back when Percy came closer.

“Hey,” Percy protested teasingly, “Are you trying to steal my girlfriend?”

Annabeth stiffened subtly, averting her eyes as Callum stilled for less than a second before speaking once more. “She’s _my_ girlfriend!” he declared, wrapping his arms around Annabeth’s waist and nuzzling his head into her stomach.

Annabeth laughed softly, sliding her hands beneath the boy’s arms and lifting him up, jutting out her hip slightly to rest his weight there. “I’m your girlfriend now, am I?” she teased softly, her smile spreading at the sweet blush darkening on Callum’s cheeks.

The young son of Hebe nodded rapidly, burying his head in the crook of Annabeth’s neck to hide his embarrassment. Annabeth smiled, subtly curious as to why she took a liking to this boy so quickly. “I have to be your boyfriend, okay?” Callum mumbled softly.

“Okay,” she agreed, not bothering to look up at the offended sound Percy made from in front of them.

“Hey! I’m still here you know?” he complained, pouting uncomfortably.

“Yeah, so what? Callum’s just so much more adorable, and he’s sweet, not to mention…” _Loyal_ she finished in her head.

“He’s _six_ ,” Percy pointed out indignantly, “And he hasn’t even gone through puberty yet.”

“Yes I have!” Callum protested angrily, lifting his head from Annabeth’s neck. “I go through purity everyday!”

“You heard the man,” Annabeth responded, drawling her words out and tapping the son of Hebe on the nose lightly. “He goes through _purity_ every day, he’s my perfect match.”

Percy snorted. “He doesn’t even know how to say _puberty_.”

“And you don’t know how to say half of the names of the Greek gods and goddesses.”

“Yeah!” Callum chimed in, tightening his arms around Annabeth’s neck and pressing yet another kiss to her cheek, this time with a childish possessiveness.

Annabeth spared a glance towards the son of the sea god. “I’m pretty sure Capture the Flag is ending in a few minutes. You might want to be there to see who wins the game.”

Percy remained in his spot, a critical look taking up residence on his handsome features. “Annabeth, I think we need to talk—.”

“No we don’t. Beside, Callum and I have a date at the campfire, right _sweetie_.”

Callum grinned, shifting in Annabeth’s arms as he struggled to get to the floor. Annabeth set him down, only to have her hand grabbed up by the boy’s smaller one. “Uh huh, we’re gonna get _married_ ,” he stuck his tongue out at the son of Poseidon, who simply rolled his eyes, obviously fed up with the little game by this time.

“Seriously, Annabeth we need to talk.”

“And I seriously don’t want to talk,” Annabeth replied without missing a beat. “We have to be at the amphitheater in less than ten minutes, so if you’ll excuse us.

Just remembering Cayden’s words, Annabeth turned, lifting open the top of one of her sibling’s storage crates and rummaging around until she found what she was looking for. Callum grinned as he was handed a bag of chips, but immediately handed them back to the female demigod with an expectant look on his cherubic features. Annabeth smiled slightly as she opened the bag of chips, handing them back to the son of Hebe who was bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. “Annabeth, did I—.”

“Do something?” she finished simply, tilting her head to the side. “Of course not. You’re Percy Jackson; you’re _always_ innocent.”

“Your name is Perry?” Callum mumbled around a mouthful of chips. “That’s an ugly name.”

Annabeth ruffled the boy’s hair as Percy made an irritated sound in the back of his throat. “ _Percy_ , my name is Percy.”

Callum shrugged, his small hand delving back into the chip back. “It’s still ugly.”

“That's just my nickname,” Percy snapped, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead irritably. “My full name is Perseus.”

The son of Hebe blinked. “ _Purses_? That’s ugly _and_ weird.”

Annabeth slapped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. Percy’s foot began tapping impatiently against the floorboards, his green eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Alright Callum, let’s get you back to your brother.”

The son of Hebe nodded, and Annabeth grabbed hold of his hand once more, skirting around Percy, praying that she could keep it together until she was out of his sight. Before she could even reach for the knob, Percy grabbed her around the waist, making her release Callum’s hand much to the youngest demigod’s dismay. “Hey!” the boy protested, placing his crumby hands on his waist huffily.

“Callum, go wash your hands before we go to the campfire, okay? Make sure you clean beneath your fingernails too,” she told the strawberry blonde boy, her gaze locked with Percy’s the whole time.

The son of Hebe studied his greasy hands, then darted off towards the bathroom, leaving the older demigods behind. Percy pulled Annabeth closer, and in response, the daughter of Athena placed her hands between them and on the male demigod’s chest, pushing halfheartedly as she backed off. Her eyes began prickling with the tears that she had so desperately tried to hold back. “Percy, stop,” she murmured, wincing at the way her voice wavered when the son of Poseidon merely pulled her closer, burying his face in the space between her neck and shoulder.

“I don’t know what I did, but whatever it is, I’m sorry, okay?”

Annabeth found herself falling limp in his hold, wanting nothing more to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, to believe the lies that were undoubtedly to come, and had come already. But she couldn’t, he was _cheating_ on her, no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise. She nibbled on her lower lip, pulling her hands from Percy’s chest in favor of wrapping them around herself weakly. “I love you,” Percy whispered, pressing his lips to her neck and letting them linger. She froze in his arms, her own limbs tightening around herself at his words.

And there it was, the first lie she could recognize.

Shaking her head slightly, as if to push the words from her mind, she pulled away from the warmth Percy provided, wondering if he had delivered the same warmth to Nico as well. The thought made her shudder with revulsion, not at the fact that it was _Nico_ , or a male Percy was cheating with, but that the fact that the son of the sea god had the audacity to cheat on her, then hold her, kiss her, _sleep_ with her, and tell her that he loved her while he was probably doing the same thing with Nico.

She could feel her breath speed up at the sheer _thought_ of Percy sleeping someone else. To kiss Nico might be something she could consider forgiving, but if Percy _slept_ with the raven haired demigod…it would be over, as much as the thought of splitting with him made her chest ache with a pain so intense, she probably winced. But she would get over it, just like she did with Luke’s betrayal, not matter how long it would take.

“Callum?” she called out hoarsely, “Come on, we need to get you to Cayden.”

At the sound of his brother’s name, the boy came racing from the bathroom and skidding to a clumsy halt before the daughter of Athena. “Cayden?”

“Mhm, let’s get going.”

Annabeth held out her hand, diligently ignoring Percy’s gaze and the son of Hebe slipped his smaller hand within hers, sending the son of the sea god one last childish glare before he began tugging the blonde demigod from the cabin. “Annabeth.”

Annabeth glanced over her shoulder, to Percy, where the dark haired demigod was following them out of the cabin to go back to his own. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

Annabeth merely turned back around, worrying her lower lip between her teeth with a subtle shake of her head.

It wasn’t enough.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico shook his head, taking a fumbling step back as he stared at the girl before him, his eyes dark eyes wide and full of fear. _I know that you and Percy are sleeping together_. That was what she had said. She had even repeated it for his sake, which wouldn’t have been necessary; he knew what she had said, he had just been fruitlessly praying it wasn’t true, that this whole situation was a dream. A dream he had yet to wake up from. His mouth opened and shut for what he was sure the millionth time and Drew simply watched him carefully, her bright eyes following his every facial movement carefully, her glossed-lips thinned into a straight line.

He knew she was waiting for him to say something, but what was he supposed to say? He felt his hands trembling at his sides, and his eyes had begun to ache from the way they were being held open unblinkingly, and still, he and the daughter of Aphrodite merely watching one another; Nico with horror, and Drew with caution. This was one of his worst nightmares come to life. At the beginning of him and Percy’s secret _affair_ , Nico was utterly terrified that someone would find out, but as time grew on, his fear had diminished until it was no more than an occasional anxiety in the back of his mind. That was probably where he had made his first mistake. He and Percy had become too sloppy, _too_ comfortable with what they were doing to remember to cover their tracks.

And look what it had cost them.

Nico’s breath began to stutter out in short pants, and he squeezed his eyes shut, reminding himself to breathe no matter how hard it was; it wouldn’t do for him to break out in a full on panic attack right at this moment, even if it would be so very easy to do so. Just as he began to calm himself down enough where his breaths weren’t shaking his rather small frame, his mind so helpfully reminded him of who it was he knew his secret, and his irregular breaths came back all the faster.

It was _Drew_. The stereotypical child of Aphrodite down to every last bit of makeup she plastered on her features, and down to the soles of her Jimmy Choo’s. Just because she had been kind to him for all of an hour and maybe a few times over the past days, did not mean she had changed; Nico’s wouldn’t believe that for one minute. She would revert to her old ways as soon as she confirmed the truth and go around doing what she was best known for at camp—spreading rumors. Nico couldn’t have that. He couldn’t have the only place he felt remotely welcomed at reject him— _again_ —because of this. He knew for a fact that Percy wouldn’t take the brunt of the criticism, the scorn, their secret got out; he was _Percy fucking Jackson_. The savior of Olympus, only know half-blood son of Poseidon. He was favored by the majority of the gods, hell; Zeus had even offered him _immortality_ , even _if_ it was rather grudgingly. Percy was charming, handsome, and though he wasn’t the brightest of the bunch, he was heroic, humble—he would be forgiven easily for his slip-up.

But Nico? He was the creepy son of Hades, who had brief stints in the spotlight that didn’t last more than a week. He was quiet, brooding, unappealing to the eye and strange. He could raise the dead with a flick of his wrist, and though those factors could be promising for a war, they weren’t helping him much in the popularity category. By the end of this, he would be forced to live in the Underworld with his father and Persephone while Percy was ultimately forgiven; because who could _ever_ remain upset with Perseus Jackson? He was the informal leader of the camp, with his girlfriend by his side. The two of them together made the perfect team, the perfect _couple_. They had been through so much together—the Sea of Monsters, _Tartarus_ —that it would be ridiculous for them to break up over something as inferior as an affair with the son of Hades.

Nico forced out his next breath, realizing that he hadn’t been breathing at all. But he could blame himself; he was _afraid_. Completely and utterly terrified of what this secret jeopardized for him, one of the only things he held dear; his friendship—or whatever it was he had—with Jason. He knew Jason wouldn’t forgive him for sleeping with Percy, even if it was none of his business who Nico decided to lay with. He had been so close to losing the son of Jupiter just by a few ill muttered words, but this? _This_ would shove Jason away completely, and anything they had would be lost because Nico couldn’t control himself, couldn’t say _no_ to Percy. Ultimately, he knew Percy wasn’t to blame; he had been the one who had eagerly slipped beneath the son of the sea god’s covers, both proverbially and literally, despite knowing that he had a girlfriend who he was in love with. But at the time, Nico hadn’t cared. Percy had been paying attention to him, not just the fleeting smiles that were cast in his direction and the mere nods of acknowledgment when they were passing by one another, _actual attention_.

And even now Nico could barely find it within himself to feel complete remorse for what he had done. Secretly, he felt _entitled_ to Percy’s affections. After all, it had been the son of Poseidon, his Mythomagic hero came to life, who had completely mesmerized him at a young age, and had taken his older sister and his innocence away in the same breath. Yes, not matter who badly it sounded, he felt as if he deserved this to make up for all the wrong Percy had done to him. But that wasn’t all either. Just as Jason had said, Nico was selfish, and he begun sleeping with Percy with somewhat of an ulterior motive; to make the older demigod forget about the daughter of Athena and devote himself completely to the son of Hades. He didn’t want anyone but himself to have Percy, and if he couldn’t have him all, he would take what he could get, even if wasn’t enough. It was _never_ enough.

But then he thought about everything Annabeth had done for him, had sacrificed for him just to keep him safe, and happy, though she probably knew her efforts were in vain. And what had Nico done in response to her kindness? Stabbed her in the back, while basically taking her boyfriend simultaneously.

“Nico?” Drew’s surprisingly soft, dulcet voice rang throughout the empty beach and the stifling silence, making the teen in question flinch, his eyes snapping open instantly.

The teen in question merely shook his head stubbornly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears of remorse, dread, and _relief_. Relief that someone finally _knew_ , and he could explain himself, could rationalize his actions to some besides his own conscious. “Y-You don’t understand,” he winced at the way his voice cracked, taking a step back as Drew to one forward.

The daughter of Aphrodite nodded slowly, her eyes alert and wary as she watched every little movement Nico made, as if waiting for him to snap under the revelation of her knowledge of him and Percy’s promiscuous escapades. “I do,” she replied carefully, taking another step forward. “I promise you, I do.”

Nico couldn’t stop his lower lip from _trembling_ at the accepting tone in her voice, and he wrapped his arms around himself to keep his limbs from shaking so badly. “You love him…don’t you?” Drew asked gently, taking another few steps forward until she was standing before the son of Hades, who was nearly choking on the force of his emotions.

“ _Yes_ ,” he blurted out, surprising himself by the ease of which he spoke the words. “Gods, I-I don’t _want to_ , I hate it. Gods, I’m so stupid!”

Drew closed the distance between them as the first of Nico’s tears slipped out, and she wrapped her arms around his trembling from, murmuring words of encouragement. “It’s okay, let it all out. It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it _is_. I ruin everything, t-that’s what I do; I’m a f-fucking home wrecking _whore_.”

“Nico, stop it,” Drew demanded and Nico clutched onto her shirt, shaking his head hysterically.

“I-I _am!_ Don’t you get that, I’m selfish, and I’m stupid, and…I-I'm a fucking idiot, _gods what have I done_?” Nico choked out, his words nearly drowned out by the force of his sobs.

He didn’t have right to be like this, not when he was the one in the wrong. The one screwing over people he cared about. And he did care about Annabeth, Capture the Flag differences aside, she had never done _anything_ to him, but been nice, and understanding. And he betrayed her. And Piper.

Oh gods, _Piper_.

Now he would be blamed for wrecking _two_ relationships. “I-I can’t _breathe_ , I’m dying—.”

“You’re not dying,” Drew assured him, her voice measured and soothing, barely smoothing over Nico’s frayed emotions.

“Everyone is going to hate m-me, I’ll lose J-Jason, a-and Annabeth—.”

“No, you won’t.”

“You don’t understand,” Nico thought he screamed, but his voice came out as nothing more than a pitiful whimper.

“I do, I swear—.”

“ _No_.”

Drew pulled the son of Hades closer. “He’s leading you _on_ , Nico, this is not completely your fault. Don’t you get that?”

Nico bit down on his lower lip to stifle the sobs that were attempting to force their way out of his throat. He needed to stop. To get over himself. If anyone should be crying hysterically, it should be Annabeth. Right now, he had a bigger problem in his hands: that fact that Drew knew him and Percy’s secret.

The son of Hades took deep, gulping breaths, mentally cursing to himself as his tears continued to fall steadily. _Stop being so selfish; you can sob and cry later, not when you have an audience. You’re being pathetic di Angelo; get your shit together_.

He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating on the pleasant tone of Drew’s voice, coupled with the soothing motions her hands were making on his back. After a few moments of silence, only interrupted by Nico’s occasional breathless hitch of breath from the force of his sobs, the smaller demigod finally calmed—outwardly at least.

He slowly pulled himself from Drew’s arms, his pale face more ashen than usual, making his tear swollen eyes stand out on his profile gaudily. “H-How did you find out?” he asked hoarsely, averting his gaze studiously.

Drew remained silent for a moment before answering carefully, most likely afraid that her words would set of the son of Hades once more. “I connected the dots; you disappear into Percy’s cabin around the same time every day, stay for an hour or two, and then leave more disheveled than you were when you went in. And you reeked of sex whenever I passed you, that coupled with how depressed you seemed to be getting until Jason came back.”

“You’re more perceptive than I give you credit for.”

Drew let a small smile tip up the corners of her lips. “Why thank you.”

“Is…this why you’ve been disturbingly nice to me lately?”

The daughter of Aphrodite nodded, smoothing the wrinkles out of her shirt, though studiously ignoring the various tearstains on the fabric. “At first…at first I thought you were being selfish,” she gave the younger half-blood a pointed look, “I had heard from my siblings that you were the reason Piper and Jason had broken up, then a few weeks later, you’re sleeping with Percy. I was going to out you to the whole camp…”

Drew paused, looking away almost solemnly. “Until I actually saw this was affecting you. I _know_ that you love him, not because I’m Aphrodite’s daughter and all, but I can practically sense the intensity you feel towards him whenever you’re near one another. But Nico…he’s not _good_ for you. You get that right?”

The son of Hades kept his gaze diligently averted, sucking his lower lip into his mouth quietly. “How long have you two been doing this?” she asked, switching up tactics.

“…About a month,” Nico whispered, shuddering within the confines of Jason’s hoodie.

Drew’s face fell slightly, a disappointed gleam shining in her bright orbs. “Nico…”

“I already know what you’re going to say, okay? So, just don’t…please.”

“I’m guessing Jason doesn’t know about this.”

Nico’s head snapped up and he shook his head rapidly, his dark eyes widening with fear. “And he _can’t_ , he’d hate me. You’re the only who knows, Drew, you can’t tell anyone.”

“But—.”

“Swear it to me. On the River Styx, right now,” Nico’s eyes hardened with determination as Drew eyed him skeptically.

After a few moments of tense silence, Drew let out an exasperated sigh. “ _Fine_. I swear on the River Styx, I won’t tell anyone about you and Percy. Happy?”

Nico’s shoulders deflated suddenly, feeling as if a weight was being lifted from his all too burdened shoulders. “Okay, now we—.”

“Nico!”

The younger demigod stiffened at the sound of Percy’s voice coming closer along with the pounding of heavy footsteps against the earth. The son of Poseidon burst into view, his eyes wild and frantic. Nico’s brows furrowed curiously, and he casted an anxious glance and Drew whose posture had immediately changed. Her hip jutted out and her eyes diligently studying every contour of her nails. “I’ve been looking for you _everywhere_!” Percy nearly shouted, his hands fisted at his sides.

“I…I’m sorry, I just—.”

“We need to talk _now_.”

His hand latched onto Nico’s bicep, and the son of Poseidon began dragging him away from the daughter of Aphrodite. Drew gave the younger demigod an understanding nod, her eyes flashing with an emotion Nico couldn’t quite identify. Shaking his head slightly, he focused his attention on the older demigod, whose eyes were darting around frantically until they focused on an empty clearing Nico could have sworn never existed before this moment. “Percy— _ouch_ —you’re hurting me.”

Percy promptly released his hold on Nico’s arm in favor of pacing around a small portion of the clearing nervously. “Percy…?” Nico tried to ignore his own anxiety of Drew’s knowledge of his and the older half-blood’s actions behind closed doors.

Percy’s tanned hands dove into his hair, and then his eyes fixed on Nico’s, wide, and full of panic. “N-Nico, _gods_ , she knows, she _knows_.”

“She…?” then it dawned on him, only one person “knowing” could get Percy fucking Jackson into such a frenzy.

Annabeth knew they were sleeping together.

Well, what a day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT.  
> I dunno why I'm so hyper right now, so excuse my strangeness, or weirdoness. Whateva.  
> I feel like I did a really half-assed job on Nico's POV. :T  
> Agree? Disagree?  
> Let me know, I'd be glad to rewrite it.  
> Just email me at Moment4Life.AO3@outlook.com and let me know which parts you'd like for me to change. [:  
> Thanks for reading guys and gals. >o


	14. And I Need You to Trust That I'm Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "'Peace's rival?'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously just finished this chapter a few minutes ago.  
> Earlier today, I had only about 1,500 or so words written, then I had this epiphany, and I spent my whole day writing. Now there are over 8,000 words.  
> I don't even remember eating today.  
> You're welcome, all you lovely folks.  
> As you all know, praised for the story is LOOOOVED *cough cough, hint hint, wink wink*, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy. [ ;  
> Oh yes, and thanks for all of you who left comments, kudos, and who merely read the story. Luvs you alls.

** Jason’s POV **

Jason sat on the porch of the Big House leisurely sipping a watered-downed glass of lemonade that Chiron had handed him upon his arrival. The blonde trailed his fingers up the side of the cylinder glass, absently catching the cool water droplets that had gathered upon his neglect to pay the glass any heed until now. “Jason, your mind is wandering once again,” Chiron stated, a single dark brow rising critically as Jason snapped back to attention, a flush of embarrassment darkening his lightly tanned skin.

“Sorry,” he muttered, ducking his head to avoid that curious gaze.

Chiron was much too intuitive, and one couldn’t be surprised by that fact seeing as he had been around for centuries; he had probably mastered the art of reading people ages ago, and Jason didn’t want to be one of those who were trumped by the centaurs astounding ability. His problems were his own, and if he could barely sort out his thoughts, where did he get of thinking he’d be able to explain it to someone else?

He gave his head a slight shake, his golden locks tickling his eyelids as he looked up once more, a purposefully sheepish smile set on his handsome features. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

The centaur nodded, folding his hands on the table primly, and looking as if he were ready to interview the son of Jupiter for a show on _Hephaestus TV_. Jason snorted at the thought. That would probably bring up some ratings on the immortal entertainment station; his life was a freaking soap opera, tears, angst, and all. “Tell me about your time on Olympus,” Chiron requested, adjusting himself in his specially made wheelchair that perfectly concealed his lower centaur half.

Jason sat up straighter, his fingers stilling on the moist glass. “What would you like to know?”

“Just the basics; there’s no need for elaborate details.”

The Roman nodded, a closed off look dominating his typically open face. “I was tried for treason against my father because I blew up his statue in my… _distress_. Juno, or Hera, had demanded that I be ‘annihilated’, but my father let me off with a warning.”

Chiron’s lips pursed in the silence that followed Jason’s rather concise tale, his fingers drumming on the table lightly as he closely studied the demigod before him. “That’s all?”

Jason shrugged, a small smile playing across his lips. “You said there was no need for intricate details.”

The centaur gave the half-blood a wry smile. “I did say that,” he agreed, letting out an exasperated sigh. “But you do know what this means, yes?”

The former praetor rested his chin on his fist leisurely, nodding slowly. “I’m treading on thin ice with my father.”

“Exactly. Though he may not have convicted you of your ‘crime’, he will still view your destruction of his statue as disrespectful. And you must understand that by letting you off of the hook, some of the other Olympians may view him as weak, for being such a pushover for a son he has only met on once prior to your second meeting.”

Jason winced. He had never thought about it that way before. “So what does it mean?”

Chiron carefully adjusted himself in his wheelchair before he spoke once more. “It means that you will probably have to go out of your way to honor your father, so that the next time something like this—hopefully not of this level of disrespect or significance—occurs, he will have good reason to look the other way.”

The blonde demigod nodded, his eyes roving over the glass of lemonade he had suddenly lost interest in. “So more sacrifices during breakfast, and stuff?”

The centaur paused, absently stroking his scruffy beard as he pondered over the question. “You will need a little more than that to put you in his favor, and hopefully keep yourself there. I suggest you create a shrine for him.”

Jason’s head tipped to the side curiously. “A shrine?”

Chiron gave a slight nod. “It doesn’t have to be big, just something to show your remorse for your actions. I advise you recruit Leo Valdez for the job, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to help you construct something such as this.”

Jason nodded determinedly, “I’ll do it then.”

“Alright then, that was all we needed to discuss, you’re free to go.”

The Roman said his farewells to the centaur before he made his way off of the porch, heading in the direction of his cabin to grab a few things before he went to the amphitheater for the campfire sing-a-long. On the way, he let his mind drift off to the insistent thoughts that demanded his attention.

Especially the ones that had a little something to do with him lip locking with Nico di Angelo.

Jason felt his face flush with subtle embarrassment at the thought. What had he been thinking? Nico was in love with Percy no matter how sick with jealousy the thought made him. This led to yet another question he was quite reluctant to find the answer to; did he actually _like_ Nico?

The blonde kept his eyes trained on the ground, absently kicking up a few small stones that happened to be in his path. Liking Nico would explain a lot on things. His jealousy whenever the son of Hades and Percy were close, or his ridiculous amount of doting he showered the boy with. But then again, he could merely be physically attracted to Nico, and that would also explain those things as well. Jason let out a frustrated breath, shoving a hand through his golden locks. Gods, why did things have to be so… _confusing_?

Liking Nico would only add difficulty to things. It would take him through an emotional rollercoaster he did _not_ wish to be on. Jason knew the depth of Nico’s feelings for Percy, and to try and insert himself between that would be mental as well as emotional suicide. Nico wouldn’t forget his feelings for the son of Poseidon all because of one kiss compared to four years of being in love. Even if he tried, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

In the time Jason took to momentarily squeeze his eyes shut, he ran—more like _plowed_ —into someone with a muffled _oomph_ , and the small camper fell to the ground. Good gracious, he needed to stop running into people. Jason took a step back, a small remorseful smile set on his lips as he held out a hand to help up the camper he had sent sprawling. “Sorry about that,” he said, hauling the teen, who wasn’t more than a few inches taller than Nico, to his feet with little difficulty.

When the camper before him was finally on his feet, Jason blinked in surprise at the face he didn’t quite recognize. “It’s alright, it was partially my fault as well,” the teen’s considerably long lashes lowered as he brushed off the backs of his of his slim fitting jeans.

“Are you new?” Jason blurted out, silently cursing himself for his lack of tact. “It’s just…I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

The camper looked up at the son of Jupiter through lashes that were almost as sinfully thick as Nico’s, but the eyes beneath those lashes were a brilliant amethyst color that had Jason wondering if they were natural or not. And why in Diana’s name was he comparing this teen and Nico so steadily? “Yeah, I can’t blame you for your confusion; I came about two weeks ago, while you were gone. You’re Jason Grace, right?”

Jason’s head tipped to the side, but he nodded nonetheless at the recognition. “Correct. How’d you know?”

Those dark lashes swept down again, and Jason found himself wanting the teen to look up again, just so that he could catch sight of that unique eye color once more. “My… _siblings_ told me all about you, as well as some of the other half-bloods who played key roles in the…what is it called? Oh, yes, the Giant War; you’re kind of a big deal, huh?”

Jason gave the teen a slight smile, and an uncommitted shrug. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“And you’re humble too,” the demigod smiled, showing off a row of straight, white teeth. “Just as my siblings said.”

As much as he tried, Jason couldn’t stop his face from heating up as the half-blood eyed him from head-to-toe lazily, his full lips tipped up in a smile. “Your siblings? Who’s your godly parent?”

The teen blinked, then a bashful smile took residence on his rosy lips. “Sorry, I’m Emilian Dragomir, son of Aphrodite.”

That would explain his good looks. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emilian. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the origin of your name?”

“Romania. It’s where I was born, but I moved to Maryland when I was young.”

Jason watched as the boy ran a hand through his midnight blue uppercut hairstyle, a small smile on his charming features as he caught the blonde watching his movements. “Do you speak any Romanian?”

The half-blood, now identified as Emilian nodded, still peering up at Jason through his dark lashes. “Ești la fel de frumos ca și frații mei a spus că ești.”

Jason blinked once, and the teen before him laughed, the melodious sound making the son of Jupiter smile absently. “What did you say?” he asked curiously.

“Just nonsense. Anyway, do you think you could point me in the direction of the amphitheater; I’m kind of lost.”

Jason gave the teen an understanding smile, “It’s just past the canoe lake, you can’t miss it.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you around then?”

“More than likely. It was nice to meet you Emilian.”

And with that, the two demigods were parting ways, Jason cast one last look over his shoulder to see the son of Aphrodite doing the same before smiling shyly and turning back around. Jason silently walked to his cabin, his hands shoved in his pockets casually as he unconsciously tried to place Emilian’s eyes color on the color wheel. He wasn’t really up for the campfire today, he just wanted to collapse in bed by himself, after reading—more like _decoding_ —a book until he was tired. He nodded in agreement with himself as he approached the door to his cabin, frowning as he caught sight of the haze of a lamp from behind the curtains hanging in the windows. Had he forgotten to turn it off after he left his cabin? Jason frowned slightly. He didn’t even remember turning it on in the first place.

Oh well, that was one less thing he had to do when he got in. With an absent shrug, he pushed open the door and was immediately bombarded by the smell of smoke. Cigarette smoke. Jason choked on his breath, backing out of the doorway and lifting the fabric of his shirt to cover his nose against the offensive smell. “What in Pluto’s name…?”

In the center of the hazy room, was a sprawled out Nico di Angelo, who barely looked up when Jason walked through the door. “Welcome home, Jason!”

Jason frowned at the boy’s slurred words, before Nico seemed to pull a bottle of alcohol from thin air, bringing the container to his lips and swallowing down a large gulp. Was that…vodka? At least that’s what the bottle read, but the drink seemed to be diluted with something else. “Nico…what are you drinking?”

The son of Hades squinted at the bottle in his hands before frowning. “I’m not drinkin’ anything, what’re you drinking?”

Jason scowled slightly as Nico brought a cigarette to his lips in between sips of his beverage, his face scrunching up determinedly as his lips formed a small “o”, little puffs of smoke coming out in small ringlets, growing larger before they disappeared into the air. Obviously he had had some practice with smoking while Jason was gone. “Smoking, in _my_ cabin, Nico, really?”

“I couldn’t smoke in mines; it had naked people in it.”

Jason frowned at that, shaking the statement off as drunken talk. “’Course it did. Now put out the cigarette, Nico.”

“But I’m not finished yet,” the son of Hades protested as Jason moved forward, snatching the cancer stick from between his fumbling fingers.

“You’re so mean to me, Jason,” Nico whined as Jason stubbed out the cigarette on his bedside table, then stormed over to the windows, throwing open the curtains and lifting the windows.

“Now I have to wash all of my stuff,” Jason mumbled more to himself than to the demigod on the floor.

“Just lick it all off,” Nico suggested, quite unhelpfully as he took another swig of his drink.

Jason’s frown deepened at the red tinted drink in his hands. “Nico, seriously, what’s in there?”

“Guess,” the boy demanded enthusiastically, his hazy eyes lighting up.

“Nico…”

“You’re no fun, you party pee-er. Or pooper. I dunno. It’s vodka, and Kool-Aid, it’s yummy. Want some?”

“No, give me the bottle.”

Nico sat up with no little amount of difficulty, hiding the bottle behind his back with a confused scowl. “Why?”

“Because you don’t need to be drinking, you’re only sixteen.”

“Actually,” the boy drawled out the words before his took another gulp of his mixture, “I’m seventeen now, you missed my birthday, you fucking asshole.”

Jason’s eyes widened slightly, and he froze in his attempts to grab the bottle from the teen’s hands. “What?”

“Y’know what I did for my birthday?” Nico questioned, his dark brows rising as he brought the bottle to his lips for a quick sip. “I had _sex_.”

The son of Jupiter completely stilled, a familiar feeling on white hot jealousy shooting through his being as Nico’s lips quirked up in a smug smile at his silence. “ _Five times_. My butt hurt afterwards, but it was still fun.”

“ _Five_?” Jason rasped, inwardly wincing at the sound of his own voice.

Nico nodded vigorously. “Mhm. You know, you should have sex too, you don’t know what you’re missing. Being a virgin is so stupid.”

Jason’s lips twisted into a disgusted snarl, “And being a _slut_ is revolting.”

The son of Hades spared him a curious glance. “You think I’m a slut?”

“I never said that.”

“You…” Nico paused, his raven colored brows furrowing as he searched for the right word, “ _implied_ it.”

“I didn’t imply anything, but if the shoe fits, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Jason snapped, trying to ignore the pain radiating in his chest at the younger demigod’s admission.

Nico squinted at his feet for a long time before he shrugged. “I’ll be a slut if it means I can have sex all the time.”

Jason shook his head, reaching for the bottle in Nico’s hand insistently. “Just give me the damn bottle, di Angelo.”

“Ohhh, I must be in trouble if you’re not calling me _Neeks_ ,” Nico pulled the bottle out of Jason’s reach, taking another sip before he spoke again. “I made you mad, didn’t I?”

Jason ignored the boy, darting for the bottle in his hands quickly; his fingers merely brushing the glass container before both Nico and the drink disappeared, nearly making the son of Jupiter fall to the ground. An overzealous laugh sounded from the other side of the cabin as Nico reappeared with his bottle in hand, a triumphant look on his face and he took a large gulp, then waved around the beverage haphazardly. “Tricked ya, didn’t I?”

Jason made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat as he surged forward, only to have Nico disappear, and soon after reappear on the other side of the cabin yet again. “You’ll have to be faster than that, Jace.”

This time, Jason remained in the same spot as Nico shadow travelled around the cabin multiple times without the former praetor giving chase. The last time he reappeared, he stumbled, nearly collapsing to the floor with a slurred, “Uh oh.”

Jason shot forward; grasping the boy by the shoulders and steadying him on his feet before he snatched the bottle from his hands, heading towards the bathroom, only to have Nico follow behind him exclaiming profanities the whole way through. “Where the fuck are you taking my drink, you stupid, ugly, asshole?”

Jason ignored him as he moved towards a sink, turning the bottle over and beginning to dump its contents down the drain with a slight grimace on his face. “You’re wasting it, you prick!” Nico shouted, attempting to stick his head beneath the lessening stream of the concoction from the bottle.

“Jason, stop it!” Nico wailed, grabbing onto the older teen’s arm before the son of Jupiter sent him a dark glare over his shoulder, making the younger demigod shy away immediately.

Jason tossed the empty bottle into the trashcan, not even flinching as he heard the glass shatter when it hit the bottom of the bin. “Come one,” he snapped at the raven-haired demigod, who pouted as he shuffled after the older half-blood.”

“Where’re we goin’?”

“To your cabin.”

“No!” Nico nearly screamed, throwing his arms around Jason’s waist and pulling him back with all his might.

“Nico, stop it,” Jason grunted, attempting to free himself from the vice grip the young Italian had on his waist.

“No, we can’t go. There’s a naked person in there.”

“No there’s not, let go—.”

“Why can’t I stay with you?” Nico whined softly, nuzzling his face into Jason’s back with a sound akin to a purr.

“Because I don’t want you to, now let go!”

Nico released him with a sharp intake of breath, and Jason turned around in time to see tears gathering in the younger demigod’s eyes. “You don’t like me anymore?” he whimpered, his lower lip trembling pitifully.

Shit, Nico was _that_ type of drunk; the ones who were about as moody as a pregnant woman. Jason rubbed an irritated hand over his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut as Nico began sniffling helplessly. He really didn’t want to do this, not after what Nico had told him. He just wanted to be by himself, not taking care of a son of Hades who didn’t know how to handle his liquor. His eyes opened as a heart wrenching forced sob it way out of Nico’s throat, his features scrunched up with despair as tears ran down his alcohol-induced flushed cheeks. “I-I’m sorry, J-Jason, please don’t h-hate me,” he hiccupped, balling his hands into fists and scrubbing them over his wet eyes.

Jason let out a soft sigh before he pulled Nico into the comfort of his arms, resting his chin atop the boy’s head. “I don’t hate you, Nico.”

“You’re lying!”

“No, I’m not—.”

Jason grunted in surprise as Nico jumped up, wrapping his arms around the older teen’s neck and locking his legs around his waist. The former praetor wrapped his arms around the boy’s torso as he sobbed into his neck rather pathetically. “Jason!” he cried, tightening his arms around the older teen’s neck.

“Yes?” Jason rubbed comforting circles over the younger demigod’s back, hoping to placate him at least slight.

“I want a kiss,” he stated sulkily, lifting his face from the space between Jason’s neck and shoulder to stare at him imploringly.

Jason's jaw dropped open at the younger demigod's audacity, his mouth opening and closing over words that wouldn't come out. Not even twenty minutes after Nico told Jason that he had sex with someone else, a fact that left a bad taste in the back of his throat, he was asking for a kiss.

“Give me a kiss…please?” Nico's lower lip was poked out, and his tilted his head up slightly before he turned his cheek by the smallest degree, offering up his cheek expectantly.

Jason pulled back slightly from the younger demigod’s, his gaze roaming over the teen's face, his tears surprisingly dried up, but his thick lashes moist with the remainders of the salty droplets and his cheeks damp. Even while still considerably miffed at the son of Hades, he couldn't help but admit that even in his sloppy, inebriated state, he was still one of the cutest things Jason had ever seen.

A sharp tug was delivered to his t-shirt when he found himself admiring Nico for so long that he nearly forgot the quest that had been asked of him. “Why not,” Jason muttered, a rather contagious smile lifted the corner of Nico's lips and doing the same to his in return as the younger half-blood lit up.

“Yay! Now plant one on me."

He motioned exaggeratedly to his cheek, persistently wiping at it until he was reassured that it was dry enough for Jason's task. With a soft chuckle of amusement, he pushes Nico's hand aside, leaning in to press his against that still slightly damp skin.

Nico hummed his appreciation at the simple action as Jason pulled away, planting his hands on the former praetor's shoulders with a grin. "Okay, now you can put me down."

Jason did as he was told with a slight smile, then moved towards his dresser, only to yelp in astonishment as he felt his backside being grabbed, that smile now wiped off his face completely. He turned quickly on his heel, shielding his bottom with his hands and scowling at the grinning son of Hades, whose brows only rose innocently. “What?”

“What was _that_ for?”

“I like your ass, it’s nice and firm,” Nico explained with a shrug as Jason backed away, keeping his eyes on the younger demigod until he bumped into his dresser.

Reluctantly, he removed his shirt as quickly as possible, pulling open a drawer and sifting through its contents before he felt Nico press his face into his back. Gods, he hadn’t even heard him _approach_. “Nico,” he sighed in exasperation, pulling a plain white under tee out of the drawer’s contents and holding it in his hand loosely. “I’m trying to get dressed, let go.”

“You smell so good,” Nico murmured, pressing his nose into Jason’s back and inhaling deeply much to the older teen’s surprise. “Like rain and burnt stuff.”

Jason’s nose wrinkled. Burnt stuff? Piper had once told him that he smelled faintly of burnt ozone, but that had been after he summoned a strike of lightning for capture the flag. If that was really what he smelled like, he would have to invest in some new body wash. “Uh, thanks.”

“Hey, Jason?” Nico mumbled, his voice muffled due to the fact that it was pressed against the older demigod’s back.

“Yeah, Nico?”

“Do you wanna have sex? I’m bored.”

Oh hell no. Jason jerked out of Nico’s grip, quickly pulling on his shirt before he gave the boy a stern look. “Go to bed, Nico.”

“But I’m not tired,” the younger demigod protested, crossing his arms over his chest haughtily.

“I don’t care. You need to go to bed, _now_.”

Nico let out a frustrated huff of air as he began shuffling towards Jason’s bed. “Not there,” Jason said, jerking his head towards the corner of the room. “There.”

Nico’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the cot in the corner of the room that had been long forgotten, yet kept in good condition after Chiron saw to it that Jason received a proper bed. “But…but it looks so _cold_.”

“Then I’ll get you some blankets.”

Nico made a pitiful sound of protest, but moved over to the cot nevertheless, sulkily settling himself down and glaring up at the ceiling, his growls of irritation drowning out the comforting sounds of thunder that always resounded throughout the cabin. “Nico, you’re not an animal, stop with the sounds,” Jason muttered as he changed out of his jeans and into a pair of white and blue striped sleep pants, then grabbed a blanket for the younger demigod out of another drawer of his dresser.

“Leave me alone,” Nico grumbled, snatching the blanket from Jason’s hands and ill-temperedly situating himself beneath the cover before he pulled it over his head quite childishly.

Jason couldn’t help the amused snort that left him as he walked over to bedside table, turning out the light with a flip of the switch. Quietly, he settled himself into bed, pulling his own blanket up to his chin as Nico’s drunken complaints began.

“Jason, I’m cold.”

“I gave you a blanket.”

“Still. I bet your bed is warmer, share.”

“No.”

Silence. Jason closed his eyes with a soft contented sigh, thinking that Nico was done for the night, until he heard the springs of the cot shift restlessly. “Jason?”

“Yeah?” he mumbled, burying his face into his rather plush pillow.

“If I could have babies, I would wanna have yours. They’d come out all sexy and shit.”

Jason’s eyes snapped open at that. “ _What_?”

“I’m serious; we would make some cute babies together—.”

“Nico, stop it,” Jason groaned, feeling his face flush with mortification.

“Lemme sleep in your bed then.”

“Will you be quiet?” Jason asked with a defeated sigh.

“Yes, I promise.”

“Fine, then come one.”

Through the darkness of his cabin, Jason could make out Nico jumping up from his place on the cot and scrambling over to the bed, sliding in beside the son of Jupiter when he lifted up the covers. Nico turned, burying his face Jason’s chest momentarily before he turned back around once more, grabbing the blonde’s arm and throwing it over his waist. “What’re you doing, Nico?” Jason murmured, trying to keep himself from drifting off to sleep as the younger demigod squirmed against his side.

“Cuddling,” Nico responded simply as he settled himself down comfortably. “Night, Jace.”

“G’night, Neeks.”

~*~

Jason woke rather unceremoniously to the sound of banging outside of his door, his eyes flying open as he fumbled to remove himself from the confines of the blanket. “Just a minute!” he rasped, his voice heavy with sleep.

“Nico, let go,” Jason hissed as the younger teen’s arms snaked around his waist, attempting to pull him back down to the mattress with a soft grunt, obviously still asleep.

Jason carefully pried the boy’s arms from around his torso, slowly enough so that he didn’t startle the demigod from his sleep. With no little amount of trouble, he climbed over the son of Hades, and shuffled over to the door, pulling it open quickly to put an end to the gods awful knocking. The son of Jupiter squinted through the sunlight filtering through the door, blinking rapidly to allow his eyes to adjust to the light. “Yeah?” his head tilted to the side slightly in confusion at the rather frantic looking daughter of Athena standing before him. “What’s up Annabeth?”

“Jason, I— _we_ —need your help.”

And with that, she grabbed his wrist, dragging him out of his cabin and barely giving the Roman half-blood time to shut the door behind him. “Annabeth, I don’t even have shoes on yet,” he protested grouchily as the female demigod pulled him off in the direction forest insistently.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“What’s going on?” he asked curiously as he spotted a rather large group of campers gathered around a tree on the outskirts of the forest, their heads tipped back to stare up at something that was hidden by the leaves of the tree.

“There’s a camper at the way top of the tree,” Annabeth explained in a rush as they neared the mass of campers. “He’s only six, his name is Callum, you might know his brother Cayden.”

Just as he and the daughter of Athena stopped before the group of the camper, a boy with sleep crumpled strawberry blonde hair rushed over to them, his eyes wide and frantic. “He won’t come _down_ , Annabeth. Gods, he’s gonna fall!”

“No he won’t,” Annabeth released Jason’s arm in favor on grasping the younger demigod’s shoulders and giving him a slight shake.

“How are we gonna get up there then, huh?” he hissed, jerking back from the blonde girl’s grasp in order to look up at the tree with hazel eyes clouded with concern.

“I’ll fly up there,” Jason explained, barely catching sight of a small form much too high up in the tree to be safe.

Cayden whirled around, his wide eyes full of hope and subtle skepticism. “Can you really?”

“Yeah, just…give me a little bit of room.”

The son of Hebe and Annabeth backed away, drawing the attention of some of the campers as Jason’s eyes narrowed determinedly, then he shot up into the air, manipulating the winds below him to take him higher. He circled around the perimeter of the tree until a camper he couldn’t really identify because of his height from the ground called out the boy’s location. Jason carefully flew between the branches of the tree as he caught sight of strawberry blonde curls. “Callum?” he called out softly, not wanting to startle the boy and cause him to fall from his precarious spot on a thick branch of the tree.

The boy turned and looked at him, his cherubic features lighting up in awe as he caught Jason hovering in the air. “Whoa,” he whispered, leaning in much too close for Jason’s comfort as he tottered on the branch before evidently regaining his balance. “Are you a superhero?”

Jason couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his lips at the innocently asked question. “No, I’m just Jason.”

“I wanna be a Jason too!” the boy exclaimed enthusiastically, bouncing on the branch of the tree and causing the leaves to tremble slightly.

“Callum, don’t do that,” Jason warned carefully, making the boy pause in his movements. “What are you doing up here?”

A rather solemn expression took over the boy’s face as he pointed skywards. “I was trying to reach Mommy.”

“Trying to reach…?” Jason trailed off as he understood the implications of the boy’s words. “You were trying to reach Olympus.”

The young son of Hebe nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the sky. “Why doesn’t she come down to see me and Cay? Does she not like us?”

“That’s not the case,” Jason quickly assured the boy as he hovered closer. “She’s just really busy up there. But she still loves you.”

“Really?” Callum asked excitedly, his gaze shifting from the sky and to Jason, a childish hope in his hazel eyes.

“Of course. Now, will you come down to the ground with me? Your brother is very worried.”

Callum’s eyes widened slightly, and he nodded, his chubby arms held out for Jason to scoop him up. The son of Jupiter quickly shot forward as the child tottered unsteadily once more, lifting him up and into the security of his arms. “We’re flying,” Callum exclaimed softly, staring at Jason with an expression full of wonder.

“Yeah, we are,” Jason smiled at him before he carefully manipulated the air to lower them to the ground slowly.

When they finally reached the ground, and Jason set down the son of Hebe, Cayden came rushing forward, tears brimming in his hazel eyes. “I’m back!” Callum explained, holding up his arms as his brother snatched him up, holding him close to his person.

“Callum, what the _hell_ were you thinking?!” Cayden snapped still cradling his brother close to him.

“That’s a bad word, Cay—.”

“ _I don’t care_ , don’t you ever do something so stupid again, do you hear me?”

“Sorry,” the boy mumbled, wrapping his arms around his older brother’s neck and burying his face in his shoulder.

“What were you doing up there?” Cayden asked softly, his voice trembling with worry.

“He was trying to reach Olympus,” Jason explained quietly, and Cayden’s eyes widened with understanding.

“I just wanted to see Mommy,” Callum muttered, pressing himself closer to his brother as Chiron came trotting into the circle that seemed to form around them. “What in Zeus’s name is going on here?”

“Yes, please do explain why you disrespectful half-bloods feel the need to interrupt my sleep,” came a lazily drawled voice from outside of the circle.

Jason turned to see Dionysus dressed in leopard print pajamas; his dark hair in a state of disarray atop his head. “Callum was…trying to reach his mother on Olympus,” Annabeth explained carefully, approaching the brothers and ruffling the younger’s hair.

Dionysus’s eyes softened ever so slightly as he caught sight of the young son of Hebe eyeing him curiously. “Do you know Mommy?”

“I should, she is my half sister after all,” Dionysus’s dark brows rose as the child scrambled to remove himself from his brother’s arms.

“So you’re my uncle?” Callum halted to stop before the god of wine, looking up at him with wide eyes.

Dionysus snorted derisively, “I wouldn’t say—.”

Callum threw his arms around the god’s waist, squeezing him tightly much to the campers’ astonishment. “I have an uncle!” Callum squealed in childish excitement, his eyes squeezing shut as an adorable smile lifted the corners of his lips.

“Release me, child,” Dionysus grunted, halfheartedly attempting to remove the boy from around his waist.

“I’ll call you Uncle D, okay?” Callum stated triumphantly. “And you can take me to the park, and to the beach—.”

“I will have Hebe’s head for this,” Dionysus growled as Chiron chuckled, removing the doting child from the god’s person.

“That’s enough now, Callum, you’ll tire out your _uncle_.”

Dionysus shot the centaur a glare as the six year-old was placed on Chiron’s horse half. “I’m sorry, Uncle D, did I make you sleepy?” Callum’s eyes were wide and full of trepidation. “Cayden, I think I broke him!”

Cayden merely smiled, something that Jason was told only happened on rare occasions. “I don’t think so, Cal.”

“Insufferable demigods,” Dionysus mumbled, turning in the direction of the Big House, and disappearing without a sound.

“Where did he go?” Callum’s head whipped around rapidly, attempting to catch sight of the god of wine.

“Back to the Big House, I’ll take you there to see him if you’d like?” Chiron chuckled as the child nodded rapidly. “You come along as well Cayden, I’d like for you to explain this situation further to me, if you don’t mind.”

Cayden nodded, and walked alongside the centaur and his brother, a relieved expression on his youthful features. “Thanks, Jason,” Annabeth sighed out, running a hand through her tangled locks with a frown. “I need a shower. I’ll see you later.”

Jason nodded, then turned at the sound of his name as the campers began dispersing. His gaze locked with a pair of familiar amethyst eyes, and he smiled, matching the teen’s friendly expression. “Hey, Emilian.”

“Jason, that was… _amazing_ ,” Emilian exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he nudged the son of Jupiter with an elbow. “You never told me you were so awesome.”

“I thought that was a given,” Jason teased, taking in Emilian’s perfectly groomed form though the son of Aphrodite was still dressed in his pajamas, much like he was.

“Are you going back to your cabin?”

Jason nodded, motioning to his wrinkled clothing. “I need a shower, and I’m positive I have morning breath right now. Overall, I’m just gross.”

Emilian gave a melodious laugh, his dark lashes lowering, then sweeping up once more as he looked up in Jason’s eyes. “I’ll walk with you then, my cabin is along the way.”

Jason gave the teen a bright smile as they began walking in the direction of the cabins.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico woke with a start, his stomach roiling hazardously as he rolled out of bed, blindly stumbling towards the bathroom eyes his eyes prickled with tears of discomfort. He collapsed before a toilet, barely having time to lift the lid before he emptied his stomach’s contents into the bowl, the sound of his own retching making him cringe with disgust. He really needed to control his drinking. He whimpered pitifully as he jerked once more, his hands gripping the side of the toilet as heaved again, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He rested his cheek against his folded arms; his eyes squeezed shut tightly against the pain of his upset stomach. It was more than likely that he smelled purely of vomit, and gods, was that revolting. He made a face at his thoughts as he weakly lifted himself from the toilet, pushing down on the lever and turning away as his stomach’s contents disappeared.

First things first; a shower, no matter how much he wanted to burrow beneath his covers and hide from the world all day. Nico stood carefully, shuffling in the direction of the main room, his dark brows furrowing in confusion as he caught sight of the statue of Zeus in the center of the room. Oh, yeah, he had gone to Jason’s cabin after he and Percy had… _placated_ one another worries through touches. Hell, who was he kidding, they had sex. And he ran off after Percy had fallen asleep, nearly drowning in guilt, so he decided to drown in something much more beneficial; alcohol.

 _And you paid the price for that_ , he reminded himself with a slight frown.

He glanced towards the bed, his frown only deepening when he realized Jason was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was bringing in breakfast. With a quick look at the clock, his hypothesis was quickly dismissed. It was 7:30, and breakfast didn’t start until 8:00…so where was Jason? Nico scowled at the worry brewing in the pit of his stomach. He was being pathetic; Jason was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, there was no need for him to be doing the exact thing he got onto the son of Jupiter doing to him.

The raven haired demigod gave a small shrug as he eyed the large, oak dresser against the wall opposite to Jason’s bed. He’d just borrow something of Jason’s until he went back to his cabin, or at least got his clothes cleaned. He shuffled over to the furniture and slid open a drawer, snatching out a simple pair of black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt—of course the former praetor wouldn’t have any shirts that were completely black, he was too fucking _bubbly_ for that.

After about twenty minutes, Nico had showered, brushed his teeth, and was currently in the process of getting dressed, grumbling ill-temperedly to himself as he tightened the strings of sweatpants as tightly as possible, frowning as the fabric still covered his feet. Well, that was the best he could do for the time being. He pulled on the light gray shirt quickly as he heard voices coming from outside the door. With a quiet complaint, he pushed his dripping locks from his eyes, then moved towards the door, frowning as he heard an unfamiliar voice, then a tickled laugh from the son of Jupiter.

Who the hell was he talking to?

He grasped the knob, pulling open the door and causing the two demigods before him to fall silent as he winced at the bright sunlight that was causing the pounding in his head to worsen. He cast a cursory glance in Jason’s direction as the blonde’s smile began to fade, then honed in on the unfamiliar half-blood standing at the Roman’s side. His dark brows rose as the demigod’s eyes roved over his form, an eyebrow twitching upward in amusement as the teen caught sight of Nico’s cloth covered feet. Jason cleared his throat awkwardly, “Good morning, Nico.”

Nico slid the demigod a lazy glance before he looked back towards the unidentified half-blood. The teen’s rosy lips tipped up at the corners as he broke gazes with the son of Hades in favor of looking at Jason. “I’m guessing this is Nico?”

A single critical, raven colored brow rose, and Nico snorted cynically, unable to help himself. “He did just call me Nico, didn’t he?”

The teen’s smile merely widened as Jason gave the raven haired demigod a warning look. “Nico, this is Emilian Dragomir, son of Aphrodite. And as you probably know already, this is Nico di Angelo, son of Hades.”

Nico gave the demigod once last glance, ignoring the teen’s outstretched hand as he turned his attention to the son of Jupiter. “Where were you?”

“Nico, that was kind of rude,” Jason pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I couldn’t care less; he’s your friend, not mine.”

“Well aren’t you just charming,” Emilian said dryly, his head tipping to the side slightly as he let his hand fall back to his side.

Nico gave the son of Aphrodite a wolfish smile. “So I’ve been told.”

“Your last name—from the angel,” the demigod stated, his perky nose wrinkling in distaste, “It’s…cute, but very unfitting.”

“I couldn’t say the same about your name, ‘peace’s rival’?”

“Are you always like this in the mornings?”

“No, it just so happens to be an all day sort of thing, luckily for you.”

Emilian turned, giving Jason a sweet smile that made Nico’s stomach tumble precariously. “I’m surprised you two are friends, you’re complete opposites.”

The handsome teen turned, giving Nico a once over yet again, this time with his upper lip curled up ever so slightly. Gods, he could be Drew’s male counterpart. “Well, you know what they say, opposites attract,” Jason gave the son of Aphrodite a bright smile that had Nico’s brows furrowing with irritation.

Nico didn’t like the way Emilian was looking at Jason, while simultaneously casting sneaky glances in the son of Hades’ direction, his eyes glinting with something unidentifiable. He didn’t like the way Emilian kept subtly stepping closer to the blonde, touching him in ways that would have been viewed by anyone else as casual. But Nico knew better. “Jason, I threw up,” he cut in bluntly, interrupting the demigods’ conversation.

Jason was at his side within a moment’s notice, brushing his wet bangs off of his forehead and pressing his palm against his alabaster colored skin. “I’m not surprised,” he murmured, his golden brows furrowed with concern, “You guzzled down a whole bottle of vodka on your own and in one sitting.”

“I was stressed,” Nico said simply, stopping himself from sighing at the warmth that was _Jason_.

“Your head hurts?”

Nico nodded, unconsciously basking in Jason’s fretting. “I think I have painkillers somewhere in my dresser,” Jason gave the younger demigod a slight smile that made his eyes twinkle with reluctant amusement and affection as he took in the boy’s appearance. “My clothes, really?”

The son of Hades felt a flush darkening his features as he fixed a frown his didn’t really feel on his features. “Mine smelled like puke.”

Jason nodded in understanding as he gave Nico a slight push back towards the inside of the cabin. Nico paused as Jason glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll see you around, Emilian.”

“Of course,” the teen gave the son of Jupiter a dazzling smile, merely glancing in Nico’s direction before he walked off.

“You were being extremely rude, Nico,” Jason pointed out, as he shut the door behind him.

The son of Hades shrugged, pressing his fingertips to his temple and rubbing slowly to alleviate some of the pain steadily pulsing through his head. “I don’t care; he was being rude to me too and you know it.”

“Can you really blame him? You were being all…” Jason made a clawing motion in the air. “Grrr.”

“I was being ‘grrr’?” Nico couldn’t help the smile that tipped up the corners of his lips at that.

“I don’t call you Kitten for nothin’.”

Nico made himself comfortable on the bed as the son of Jupiter moved over to his dresser, pulling out the drawer to sift through its contents. “So…how bad was I last night?” Nico asked carefully, noting the way Jason seemed to stiffen all over.

“You don’t remember?” Nico could tell it was taking Jason all of his willpower to continue his action of searching the depth of the drawer.

“I wouldn’t be asking if I did. Plus,” Nico shifted uncomfortably on the bed, preparing himself for the lecture he would undoubtedly receive after he told Jason the last bit of information. “It hadn’t been my first bottle of the night, I’m pretty sure it was my second. Or it could have been my third.”

Jason whirled around, his jaw slackened in shock. “ _Nico_!”

“I only had a few wine coolers before then—.”

“A _few_? You just said the vodka was your second drink!”

Nico gave a dismissive shrug. “I count at least six wine coolers as at the equivalent of at least one bottle of wine," he shot Jason a look as he saw the older teen's mouth open, more than likely to lecture him in his drinking habits. "And don't you get started on me either, I'm not in the mood.”

Jason’s mouth flapped open and shut indecisively for a moment before he shook his head, then turned back to his task. “You were absolutely _smashed_ last night.”

“How bad was I?” Nico repeated, not exactly sure he wanted to know the answer to his own question.

“Well, you grabbed my butt, said that if you could have babies, you would have mine,” Jason looked up, as if pondering what else the son of Hades had said and done. “You cried, and you tried to get me to have sex with you.”

What the actual fuck? Nico groaned, covering his face with his hands. “…Anything else.”

A long silence passed before Jason spoke again, his voice tight and his casual tone forced. “You made me aware that I missed your birthday. But I’m sure you had fun without me.”

Nico’s brows furrowed at that. “How do you suppose?”

“Because you had sex five times.”

Nico choked on the breath he was taking, doubling over in a fit of coughs. When he finally regained himself, Jason was watching him with a solemn expression. “So it was true,” he stated more than asked.

The son of Hades bit down on his lower lip, averting his gaze quickly as guilt made his stomach coil into knots. Jason let out a labored breath as he approached the son of Hades, holding out a small bottle of painkillers. Nico took the bottle from the blonde’s hand, noticing the way Jason made sure their skin didn’t make contact. “I don’t have an STD, Jason. You can touch me, asshole,” he snapped, his jaw clenching at the expressionless glance the Roman tossed in his direction.

“I’m aware; demigods don’t get diseases like those, luckily for some people; no offense to you of course.”

“I’m taking offense,” Nico snapped, his hand clenching around the bottle of pills in his hand.

Jason shrugged, busying himself with tidying up the cot of the corner of the room. “It’s none of your business who I sleep with anyway,” Nico said stiffly, “It’s not like we’re together.”

“But you expect me to be _okay_ with it?!” Jason exploded suddenly, making Nico flinch back in surprise.

Jason shoved an irritated hand through his blonde locks, his handsome face contorted with frustration. “I expect you to not act like a complete _dick_ when I need you most!” Nico snarled, unable to help the tremble that shook his voice.

“What do you need me for? To advise you on what types of condoms to buy? _No thanks_.” Jason retorted dryly.

“You’re not getting it.”

“What is there for me to _get_? Huh? You’re not telling me anything!”

“Because if I tell you, I’ll lose you, you fucking dipshit!”

“It’s not very nice to call names, Neeks,” Jason growled out, his blue eyes flashing dangerously.

“And it’s not very _nice_ to start assuming I’m some kind of whore!”

“If. The. Shoe. Fits,” Jason bit out.

Nico made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat, and cocked his arm back, throwing the bottle of painkillers the son of Jupiter with all of his might. “You’re such an asshole!”

Jason winced as the container made contact with his head, but then he was back to full battle mode, scooping up a half full bottle of water from his dresser and throwing it at the son of Hades. “Don’t throw shit at me!”

“Then you don’t throw shit at _me_!” Nico shouted, chucking a pillow at the former praetor’s head.

Jason balled up blanket and threw it at the raven haired demigod. “You’re the one who started it.”

“Because you called me a whore!”

Another object went flying. “I didn’t call you _anything_!”

A tennis shoe from Jason’s side. “Ouch! That actually hurt, you stupid… _idiot_.”

A bottle of lotion from Nico’s side. “I didn’t throw it to make you feel better, did I?”

A few handfuls of clothes from Jason’s side. “You and your fucking clothes smell like _shit_.”

A bottle of body wash from Nico’s side. “That’s not what you were saying when you were _sniffing_ me last night.”

The pair to the shoe that was previously thrown from Jason’s side. “If you don’t stop throwing shoes at me, I’ll break every freaking bone in your body, from your head to your toes.”

A book from Nico’s side. “I’d like to see you try; you can’t even _reach_ my head.”

Another shoe from Jason’s side, and with a growl, Nico went flying from his own side, barreling into the son of Jupiter. Jason stumbled back a few steps, then jumped away as Nico aimed a punch at his stomach. “What the fuck is _wrong with you_?!” Jason shouted when Nico snatched up his golden coin from atop of the dresser, flipping it and catching the newly transformed gladius in midair.

“I’m not a whore!” Nico screamed brandishing the weapon before him dangerously as his eyes blurred with tears he hadn’t realized were forming. “Do you hear me?! I’m not a _whore_!”

Jason’s eyes widened as the first tears trickled down the boy’s crumpled features. “Nico—.”

“No! I-I’m not a whore, okay?!” Nico choked on a sob that forced its way out of his throat. “I j-just want everyone to stop c-calling me a whore.”

Nico stared at the gladius in his hands, wondering why the world was shaking until he realized it was merely his hands that were trembling and causing the weapon to do so as well. “Nico…who called you a whore?”

“You, and Percy, and _everyone_. _I’m not a whore_!” the boy’s voice broke on his words, and he easily released the weapon as Jason pried it from his clenched fist.

The blade clattered to the ground with a deafening thud, as Jason closed the space between him and the son of Hades, pulling him into his arms. “I’m not a whore, d-do you hear me?” Nico hiccupped from between heart wrenching sobs, his small form shaking with the force of his rapid intakes of air.

Nico was caught between wanting to shove the son of Jupiter away and pull him closer, but Jason was just so _warm_ , and he needed someone right now; needed _Jason_. “I didn’t mean it, Neeks, okay? I didn’t _mean_ it,” Jason assured the boy softly, pulling him closer when the teen’s small hands formed determined fists on his chest.

The younger demigod snatched up fistfuls of the Roman’s shirt, squeezing his eyes shut against the sheer amount of _pain_ coursing throughout his being. His head hurt. His stomach hurt. And no matter how pathetic it sounded, his _heart_ hurt. “I’m not a whore,” he whimpered out once last time, making the older half-blood pull him closer.

“I know, Nico, I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like seriously, how can you peoples even stand me?  
> I take you guys on an emotional rollercoaster with every chapter that I post.  
> I'm so terribly evil.  
> *Translations*  
> Be aware that I am using Google Translate for any of the foreign phrases I put into the story, so chances are, they'll come out incorrectly. Feel free to correct me if you know the correct form of the phrase, I'd be more than happy to change it.  
> “Ești la fel de frumos ca și frații mei a spus că ești.” : "You're as handsome as my siblings said you were."


	15. I Can Almost Feel the Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Just look at me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PEOPLES.  
> I JUST SAW THIS GUY I HAVEN'T ASSOCIATED WITH SINCE I WAS ELEVEN, AND DAYUUUUUM, HE'S FUCKING SEXY.  
> LIKE, I CAN'T EVEN BREATHE RIGHT NOW, HE KEPT SMILING AT ME, AND I SWEAR I WAS READY TO SHIT MY PANTS.  
> HE'S SO FUCKING DELECTABLE, I WANNA LICK THE SHIT OUTTA HIM.  
> NOT THAT SHIT, BUT LIKE, THE CRAZY HYSTERICAL SHIT. THAT SHIT, YANNO WHAT I MEAN?  
> LIKE SERIOUSLY. DAMN. JUST...DAMN.  
> *faints*  
> I shall try and get myself under control enough to type this out.  
> So, if you look back in previous chapter, I've changed up the ages of a few of the characters.  
> I felt pretty uncomfortable as I really looked into my writing at Nico's age in correspondence to all the smutty situations he's in.  
> SO! I've upped his age to seventeen, freshly seventeen by the way.  
> That's all. [ :  
> Besides my fucking hot childhood friend.  
> As you all know, praise for the story is looooved, suggestions are greatly appreciated, and criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy, darlings. [ ;  
> *I apologize ahead of time for the errors in this chapter and the last, I've been too lazy to send them to my beta. (/).>)*

** Jason’s POV **

It was all Jason could do to not storm into Cabin 3 and give the sole inhabitant of the abode a taste of Roman revenge. He looked down at the son of Hades whose head was currently nestled in the confines of his lap from where the son of Jupiter sat on the bed. The boy’s sinfully thick lashes were swept down and covering his dark orbs as he seemed to feign sleep, his comsiderably smaller form occasionally jerking as he gasped in unsteady breaths—a result of his brutal sobs. Jason ran a hand through those dark locks that were splayed around his angelic face, currently unhardened by the deep frown that always seemed settled on the Italian’s features.

He knew he had been wrong for the words he had spoken as soon as they left his lips, but once they were out, he couldn’t do anything to take them back in. He had just felt so…. _betrayed_ by the son of Hades, but he knew now, he had been out of line. He didn’t really believe Nico was a whore, and it made a turbulent of negative emotions rush through him when he found out people—or at least Percy—had called him such.

Sure, Jason hadn’t outright said it, but his implication was enough to make the younger demigod snap, and he never wanted to be the person to put such a stricken look on the half-blood’s features again.

“I’m sorry,” Nico mumbled, startling Jason from his thoughts.

“You’ve said that at least five times already, Neeks,” Jason murmured, rubbing the tips of his fingers over the boy’s scalp soothingly.

Nico shifted slightly, his eyes opening as he moved to sit up until the blonde nudged him back down gently. “I know, but I tried to run you through with a sword—.”

“I kind of deserved it.”

Nico paused, then shook his head slightly, his dark locks falling into his eyes. “Not really.”

“Don’t argue with me,” Jason teased softly, giving the younger demigod a reassuring smile when his eyes opened once more after being closed comfortably against his surroundings for mere blissful seconds. “And I’m sorry for throwing shoes at you.”

Nico chuckled hoarsely, then rubbed his arm lightly. “It really hurt; you’ve got one hell of a throw, Jace. But I started it.”

Jason smiled gently, then a small frown took up residence on his handsome features. “But I was out of place with my comments, so technically, I started it. It’s only natural that you would react in such a negative manner.”

“Are you analyzing me, Grace?”

The former gave a teasing smile. “Maybe I am.”

Nico gave a small smile as Jason ran his fingertips over the teen’s arms, a trail of goosebumps following in his wake as a thoughtful silence fell permeated the air. “Why do you think you’re going to lose me?” the blonde asked softly, his golden brows furrowing with confusion.

Nico stiffened, but Jason continued before he could get a word in. “It’s not the first time you’ve said that either; you swear up and down I’ll hate you if you _tell me_.”

“You will,” the teen muttered softly, his hands tightening in the pajama pants Jason had yet to change out of.

“No I won’t.”

Nico didn’t respond, and Jason continued running a hand through the boy’s silky locks, his lips pursing pensively. “I could never hate you,” he added as an afterthought, making the raven haired demigod sit up despite his attempts to ease him back down.

The son of Hades nibbled on his lower lip, then after a moment of hesitation, he leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to the blonde’s cheek. Jason blinked in surprise as the young half-blood pulled back, his alabaster cheeks tinted a sweet cotton candy color. “Thanks, Jason,” he whispered softly, looking down sheepishly and fiddling with the material of the older teens pants once again.

A slow smile spread across the Roman’s lips as he slid his hand beneath Nico’s, lacing his fingers through the younger demigod’s, their hands molding together carefully. Nico let out a shaky exhale of breath, his eyes fluttering shut as Jason’s thumb traced comforting patterns along his skin. “You weren’t supposed to know,” Nico muttered after a stretch of comfortable silence.

“Know what?” Jason glanced up from looking at their interlocked fingers.

“About me doing _it_.”

Jason paused, then gave a slight shrug, squeezing the boy’s hand lightly and urging him to open his eyes once more. “I probably would have found out of eventually. Secrets don’t stay secrets for long at this camp, Neeks. You know that.”

The son of Hades shuddered, then nodded weakly, his alabaster skin seeming to become a sickly pale within the minute. “Y-Yeah, I know. But I never…I never wanted you to find out.”

Jason’s head tilted to the side slightly as the younger teen continued. “Because you’re the only person I’ve ever really been close to, you know?” Nico muttered, averting his eyes as his cheeks darkened with embarrassment. “I just…I don’t want you to see anymore of the bad things.”

The blonde stroked the boy’s scalp thoughtfully, “But the good overshadows the bad.”

Nico shook his head insistently, his lashes sweeping down to cover his dark orbs from sight. “You don’t get it. I have _a lot_ of baggage, Jace…and I just don’t want to lose you—.”

“You’re not going to lose me. I’m here to stay; you couldn’t get rid of me unless you were to…I dunno kill my sister or something.”

The corner of the demigod’s lips tipped up in a small smile that fell as abruptly as it formed. “Nico, seriously, you don’t need to worry—.”

“Do you regret it?” the teen asked softly, peering up at Jason from beneath his dark lashes, his hands uselessly fidgeting. “Kissing me I mean.”

“Why—?”

“Because you know about me, and…and about how I…” Nico bit down on his lower lip, and turned his head a fraction of an inch away, his dark locks tumbling into his eyes. “Never mind.”

“Because you’re not as pure as I once thought you were?” he replied teasingly, his smile falling when Nicp flinched in response.

He sighed, exhaustion weighing on him suddenly as he took in the younger teens pinched features. “Look Nico, I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t bother me, because it does; but not for the reasons you think,” Jason absently trailed his fingers of his free hand down the back of the boy’s neck, making his small frame shiver ever so slightly. “It was wrong of me to make assumptions about your innocence or whatever, and it was naïve. You can do whatever you want with your body, it's none of my business, and I shouldn't have pried in the the first place. And even though I know it's none of my business, I _still_ do care that you’re sleeping with other people, once again, not for the reasons you think, but it doesn’t change my opinion of you.”

“Why?”

Jason chased those silky locks as the younger demigod sat up further on his elbows. “Why what?”

“Why do you care?”

The son of Jupiter bit the inside of his cheek and shrugged, glancing away for a quick moment as he struggled to keep the truth off of his face. “I…don’t know. It just bothers me.”

Nico watched him carefully for a moment, then spoke once more, his soft voice trembling with his nerves. “You never answered my question.”

Jason’s head tipped to the side slightly, and Nico gave a quick sigh before he repeated himself. “Do you regret kissing me?”

The blonde’s free hand fumbled with the bottom of his t-shirt, a small smile lifting up the corners of his lips. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Yeah, but I asked first—.”

“No,” Jason mumbled softly, his gaze fixed on something beyond the raven haired demigod’s head.

Nico blinked in confusion. “What do you mean, ’no’? I did ask you first.”

Jason let out a soft exhale of breath. “I was answering your question.”

Nico remained silent for a moment, his eyes slightly widened in surprise. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Jason muttered, “It’s strange, I know. We’re supposed to be friends, and I did start the whole kissing thing after all, and I still don’t know _why_ I did it, but I’m sure you just went along with it to…be considerate I guess. I just…if you regret it, it’s okay, I won’t be—.”

Jason was cut off as the son of Hades leaned forward hesitantly, his face tinted pink as he placed palm of his right hand against the older teen’s cheek gently, drawing in a shaky breath. “N-Nico, what are you doing?” Jason whispered as the younger half-blood leaned forward until their noses butted against one another, their lips brushing together lightly, as if taunting the son of Jupiter with the temptation.

“Do it again,” Nico requested softly, his dark orbs locked on Jason’s sky blue ones intently.

“Do what?” Jason asked hoarsely, wincing at the pathetic way his voice came out.

Nico took a deep breath, his hand sliding from Jason’s cheek and to his choppy locks in the back, fingers tightening in what little length remained there. “Kiss me.”

Jason felt his breath stall in his lungs, and he was sure his already widened eyes were as big as saucers. “I…I don’t think I should.”

The Roman’s tongue darted out to wet his suddenly dry lips, and in the process, unwittingly brushing his tongue over the boy’s lower lip. A shiver ran through the younger teen, and he moved closer slowly. “How come?”

“Y-You’re not really in the right frame of mind to be making decisions like this—.”

“I’m sad, not drunk, idiot,” Nico murmured softly before his gaze lowered to Jason’s newly moistened lips, a shaky breath falling past his lips and breezing across the blonde’s features.

“Yeah, but…it’s basically the same thing,” Jason rambled breathlessly, “You’re seeking comfort in your time of need, and gradually, your platonic need turns into a more… _sexual_ need.”

“I’m not asking you to have… _sex_ with me Jason,” the boy’s cheeks darkening innocently at the implication. “I just…I want you to kiss me again.”

Jason hesitated, then searched the teen’s eyes when they lifted again. “For your sake, or for mine?”

Nico smirked, the blush on his cheeks along with his slightly tear swollen eyes battling with the confident action. “When have you even known me to be anything less than _selfish_?”

Jason swallowed with some difficulty, his eyes quickly darting to Nico’s lips. “So for your sake?”

“I’m not going to spell it out for you, Jason.”

Magically, the son of Jupiter’s hands found their way to the teen’s waist, tightening ever so slightly when Nico made an unconscious move, their lips brushing together tantalizingly. “I…still don’t think we should so this, Nico. It’ll only complicate things further.”

“Things are already complicated now, what’s a little more complication, huh?”

Jason pulled the son of Hades forward until he was practically in his lap. “We’re friends; friends _don’t_ make out with one another.”

Nico looked down sheepishly, those sinfully long lashes covering his dark orbs once again. “Every once in a while they do.”

“No, they don’t.”

Nico gave a soft sigh, his eyes shining with the embarrassment of rejection. “Okay,” he whispered, beginning to lean away until at the last moment, Jason slid a hand on the nape of his neck, pulling him back, until their lips were barely touching. “Jason…?”

“Gods, what am I _doing_?” the son of Jupiter murmured before he closed the minimal space between their lips, his hand tightening on the boy’s waist as well as the nape of his neck.

Their lips slotted together instantly, moving slowly, _tenderly_ , as well as with a small amount of hesitation against one another. Inside, there was an internal battle raging within the former praetor; a part of him _more_ than delighted to lock lips with the raven haired demigod, while the other part was less willing, and more hesitant. Overall, he was confused.

This wasn’t quite like him; kissing someone he may or may not have the intentions of becoming… _exclusive_ with. He always had his head straight, always knew what the next move was, and more than half of the time, that move had a positive outcome. But with Nico…his mind was muddled, and he couldn’t make a move even if he wanted to. He didn’t seem to know left from right, up from down, which left him in quite a stalemate, unable to do anything unless the son of Hades made his own move. And that’s what scared him most. The fact that he seemed to lose himself, lose his way whenever he was with, or even _thought_ of Nico. Normally, he was a level-headed, optimistic, caring, and chivalrous—overall he was a natural born leader. But when he was with Nico, his emotions seemed to spiral out of control and negative emotions he had practiced reigning in, reared their ugly heads, causing Jason to become overwhelmed with more emotions than he had had in _ages_. Envy, anger, and _concern_ so potent he thought he would drown in it.

But more than anything, that chaotic cyclone of emotions made him feel _alive_. Nico made him feel needed, and not just for guidance or leadership, but for the mere reality of who he was. Nico had seen all of his sides—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and still had yet to run in fear and disgust at finding out that Jason wasn’t as perfect as he appeared to be. That underneath all that heroic flare, he was still human, and was ruled by emotions just like everyone else. But what Nico didn’t understand was that it was _he_ who ruled Jason’s emotions; his every thought and waking moment always circled back around to the son of Hades.

And the thing that he hated most was that all of these feelings terrified him. He was Jason, the son of Jupiter, savior of Camp Jupiter as well as Camp Half-Blood; he shouldn’t have feared _anything_ this minimal as a crush. Was it even a crush? Or was it simply just lust? Nico gasped softly against his lips as Jason pulled him more fully into the confines of his lap, the boy’s hands tightening in the fabric of his t-shirt. In return, Jason carefully deepened the kiss, his hand sliding up from the nape of the teen’s neck and tangling in thick strands.

Despite the younger demigod’s newly found experience, his kisses were tentative, as if he were afraid of chasing the former praetor off. Jason slowly broke the kiss, only to lean back in a press fleeting kisses back on the son of Hades’ lips. “Stop teasing,” Nico murmured, his hands sliding up and stopping on Jason’s shoulders.

“Nico…”

“I want this,” the raven haired demigod whispered against his lips, “Please.”

Jason shook his head. “You’re in love with Percy, not me, I’m just confusing you—.”

“Jason—.”

“I need to go take a shower,” the son of Jupiter blurted out, averting his gaze quickly as he gently pushed the son of Hades off of his lap.

“Jason—.”

“If you’re hungry, you know where the food is. And you should probably take a few pain killers for your head. There are water bottles next to my dresser, make sure you stay hydrated. Oh, yeah, and I’ll give you some antacids after I get out of the shower—.”

“ _Jason_ —.”

“No buts, mister. I’ll just be in and out.” And with that, Jason darted from off of the bed and into the bathroom, letting out a deep breath when he was by himself.

Jason ran a hand through the front of his locks, screwing his eyes shut as he gripped his blonde locks harshly. Really, what had he been thinking, _again_?

He didn’t need to be doing things like _that_ with Nico, his supposed friend, especially not when the son of Hades was steadily seeing someone. Could you even call an affiliation where people were sleeping with one another a _relationship_? Jason knew—or hoped he knew—that Nico wasn’t the type to sleep with more than one person at a time, so that had to mean, he’d been sleeping with the same person for a while now; the same person who took his virginity most likely.

Jason’s eyes slowly slid open as he felt a familiar rush of envy spread throughout his being. It didn’t make sense. _He_ didn’t make sense, nor did this…newfound aspect of his relationship with Nico. All he knew was that he was undoubtedly getting in the way of Nico and someone else; something he had no business to do.

But then again, why was he sleeping with someone else if he was in love with Percy? Jason worried his lower lip between his teeth as he stripped out of his shirt distractedly, his brows creasing in confusion. Maybe…maybe Nico was… _preparing_ himself for Percy. Jason winced as he stomach roiled ominously at that thought. The sheer _thought_ of Percy and Nico sleeping together was absolutely horrifying—it was enough to make the blonde’s chest clench painfully. But, wasn’t that what people in love _did_? And even most people in mere relationships did _it_.

 _Yeah, but Percy doesn’t love Nico; he’s head-over-heels of for Annabeth_ , he inwardly reassured himself, his hands clenched tightly as he slid down his pajama bottoms.

It wasn’t that Jason was saving himself for marriage or anything, or that he was plainly a prude, it was just that when he lost his virginity, he wanted it to be with someone he cared for—no— _loved_. That was why he hadn’t had sex with Piper, who was a virgin as well. Though she loved him, he cared enough about her that when she lost _her_ virginity, it was with someone who loved her as much as she loved them. And Jason just wasn’t that person.

Jason remembered when Leo had come back from Ogygia after a visit with Calypso, a wide, dreamy smile on his face as he crossed Thalia’s pine. It had taken a considerable amount of nagging and prodding, but soon enough Leo was spewing the details of losing his virginity to the Roman.

 _“Do…do you love her?”_ Jason had asked awkwardly, a light blush dusting over his cheeks that reflected on Leo’s own elfish features.

 _“Yeah, man, I think—no, I **know** —that I love her,” _Leo had looked up sheepishly, a hesitant smile on his lips.

_“And she feels the same?”_

Leo had given a derisive snort that had made the corners of Jason’s lips quirk up. _“Of course she does, I’m Leo Valdez ‘bad boy extraordinaire’. And besides…she’s willing to become mortal—or a demigod, you know what I mean—for **me** ,” _the son of Hephaestus’s grin had returned full force, _“If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”_

Jason felt an absent smile lifting the corners of his lips at the memory. He wanted his feelings of his first time to be similar to _that_. He didn’t want to wallow in regret after everything was all said and done. The blonde stepped into the shower stall, still lost in thought as he twisted the hot water knob, then the cold one, the first jet of water drenching him from head-to-toe as he stood beneath the spray. His nose wrinkled in distaste as he felt the strange sensation of something _sticking_ to him. When he looked down, he gave an irritated sigh as he realized he was still in his boxers.

 _Good one, Grace_ , he thought to himself wryly as he stripped out of the soaked clothing, tossing it out of the shower stall, then closing the curtain behind him as an afterthought. He reached for what he _thought_ was the body wash, flipping open the cap and squirting a considerable amount in the palm of his hand before he remembered to use his…what was that thing called? Oh yeah, a _loofah_. Piper had gotten for him as a joke for his seventeenth birthday, along with a gift basket of various soaps and other bath time pleasures that he didn’t ever think he would use. Before he could reach for the sponge-y item, he glanced at the bottle in his hand, a scowl twisting his handsome features as he realized what he had been ready to bathe himself with. “Shampoo,” he grumbled ill-temperedly as he brought his hands up to his head, massaging the mixture into his scalp slowly.

After a few moments of this, he grabbed the conditioner, this time making sure it was _actually_ what he was needed—he really wasn’t trying to lather his hair with body wash. With a cynical smile, Jason got through the tedious task of washing his hair, then moved onto washing his body, humming rather loudly to himself. He smirked as he realized what the tune stuck in his head was; “I Want it That Way”, by the Backstreet Boys. This caused him to hum slightly louder as he recalled the lyrics, and soon, he was singing to himself, though he was unable to be heard over the loud spray of water within the stall. Jason nodded his head along with the tune of the song, scrubbing his soap covered loofah down his body as he heard a muffled noise from within the bathroom area. He paused in his singing, trying to listen closely over the sound of rushing water, but soon enough he gave up on that task, his humming starting anew as he continued to cleanse his body.

Just as he began to utter the first words of the chorus, the shower curtain was snatched open, and the son of Jupiter whirled around with a loud yelp, the soapy sponge falling from his hand and finding its way beneath his foot. Jason’s eyes widened as he felt himself beginning to fall forward, and he reached out, successfully snagging the shower curtain, but much to his oh so fabulous luck, the shower rod decided to dislodge itself from the small width of the shower tiles, sending the blonde as well as itself falling into the person standing before the stall, evidently frozen in shock.

Jason grunted as he hit the body beneath him, his eyes still squeezed shut from when he had initially began to fall. With a pained groan, his let his lids lift slightly in a troubled squint, and he lifted himself on his forearms, freezing when he looked down into the candy apple, red face of Nico di Angelo.

The former praetor’s eyes widened and he felt his face heat up as he became aware of just how _naked_ he was. And it didn’t really help much that the only thing that only thing that separate their bodies was the shower curtain, and much to Jason’s mortification, it only kept their lower halves apart. Jason swallowed thickly as he felt his skin pressed flush against Nico’s skin. His slightly _bare_ skin. Apparently, the younger teen’s shirt had ridden up his torso halfway upon his fall, making his and Jason’s stomachs press together slickly due to the water dripping down the older teen’s skin.

All at once, Jason felt a burning sensation spread along his body, and a pleasurable tingle shot straight to his… _lower region_. He and Nico simply stared at one another with wide eyes, water droplets occasionally falling from Jason’s hair and splashing across the younger demigod’s face, but Nico didn’t seem to notice. That was until their situation all seemed to hit him all at once, if the further widening of his eyes was anything was anything to go by.

“Oh my gods,” Nico whispered. “You’re… _why the fuck are you naked_?!”

Jason winced at the shrill sound of the boy’s voice, his eyes closing momentarily before they flew back open, and he immediately went on the defensive. “What do you mean, ‘why am I naked’?! I was taking a _shower_! Why…why in Pluto’s name did you open the shower curtain?!”

Nico flinched, shaking his head wildly. “Don’t…don’t bring my father into this…this _thing_ ,” Nico didn’t avert his gaze from Jason’s eyes as he continued to speak. “I…I was looking for you so that we c-could go to breakfast.”

“You couldn’t have just called my name?”

“I did!” Nico snapped, “You didn’t answer—.”

“So you thought to snatch open every shower curtain until you found me?” Jason asked, his words coming out in a skeptical rush.

“I-I didn’t actually _think_ you would be in t-that stall!” Nico protested, averting his gaze quickly.

“What did you _expect_ to find?!”

Nico’s worried his lower lip between his teeth before he spoke again, regaining some of his previous confidence. “I don’t know, can you just get _off_ of me?”

Jason flushed as he released he and Nico were still pressed together, not a centimeter of space between their bodies. “Y-Yeah, sorry…”

As he began lifting himself off the boy’s body, a horrified expression slid across Nico’s face. “J-Jason what is that?” he asked meekly, his blush darkening on his skin, if that was even possible at this point.

Jason’s jaw slackened as he realized what it was, and he closed his mouth, then opened it again as he tried to find words. Evidently, Nico realized what it was before he could speak. “Jason—oh my gods! Your… _thing_ is on my leg!”

Jason hissed unwittingly as Nico began squirming frantically beneath him, the friction of the boy’s leg separated by the shower curtain against his member feeling heavenly, but he wouldn’t focus on that, not right now. “Nico…Nico, _stop_ ,” Jason hissed out from between clenched teeth, and Nico froze as he realized what he was doing.

“J-Just get off,” the raven haired demigod mumbled awkwardly, his gaze averting quickly as the blonde began to remove himself.

But then Jason and froze, and Nico did that same, his eyes locking on the Roman’s as a simply _mortified_ expression took up residence on his flushed features. Jason’s jaw dropped open once more as he felt something… _hard_ pressed against his growing length. “Is that…?” the blonde rasped, his eyes widening almost comically once more as he realized what it was pressing against his erection.

It was none other than Nico own member, as hard as Jason’s was, and maybe even _harder_. Nico gave a quiet gasp as Jason shifted unconsciously, sliding their separated lengths against one another. The younger teen slapped a hand over his mouth, but not before a strangled whimper bubbled out of his throat and spilled over his lips. At that moment, Jason leaped back, snatching the shower curtain with him to protect what was left of his modesty. As soon as Jason separated himself from the raven haired demigod, Nico jumped up, darting from the room so quickly, the blonde almost didn’t see him leave.

Jason’s chest was rising and falling rapidly as he heard the door to his cabin slam shut rapidly soon after Nico’s footsteps had faded, signaling that he was alone. He stood from the floor or unsteady legs, the shower curtain clutched in his fist and still hiding his _privates_ from view. The Roman gave a shaky exhale of breath as he shuffled back into the main room of his cabin, his eyes still wide and hazed. In a daze, Jason began to get dried as well as dressed, and when he finally regained himself, he gave a soft sigh of appreciation upon seeing he was actually dressed properly considering how lost in thought he was. He lowered the hem of his pastel blue shirt over the waist of his jeans, and then gave a cursory glance around the room, spotting the shoes he had previously thrown slightly hidden within the mess across the hardwood floors.

His slightly damp hair tickled his eyelids as he bent over, yanking on a simple pair of tennis shoes. Fresh air was _more_ than needed at the moment. Jason walked over to the door and pulled it open, only to come face-to-fist with a camper’s hand. The blonde took a surprised step back as the hand fell abruptly, dark lashes lowering to cover an unusual eye color sheepishly. “E-Emilian,” Jason said in surprise, wincing at the way his voice rasped out.

The son of Aphrodite gave a small smile. “Hey.”

Jason cleared his throat before he spoke this time, and he inwardly commended himself as his voice came out smoothly. “What are you doing here?”

Emilian arched a teasing brow; nodding to the plate of food in his hands that Jason could have sworn hadn’t been there a few seconds ago. “You missed breakfast, so…here.”

Jason took the plate with a slightly forced smile snatching up a piece of bacon and sticking it into his mouth before he lifted the two waffles from his plate, placing them between his teeth as he rushed back into his cabin, setting the platter down on his dresser before skidding to a halt before the door. Emilian blinked in surprise, his gaze going from the son of Jupiter and to the plate in confusion. “What are you—?”

“Do you wanna take a walk with me?” Jason blurted out after he removed the food from his mouth, hoping that the son of Aphrodite would agree.

Sure he didn’t know Emilian very well, but he was good company to be around, and Jason could use someone, _anyone_ to take his mind off of things. A slow smile stretched across the teen’s lips, “Sure, why not.”

Jason smiled back, genuinely this time; there was just something contagious about the demigod’s smiles. Maybe it was the almost hypnotic way his amethyst eyes seemed to twinkle, or the way his whole face seems to light up, or even the little crinkles that formed around his eyes when he smiled. The blonde wasn’t sure, but he knew that Emilian was someone positive to be around. “Where to?” the son of Aphrodite questioned, looking up at the Roman with a small smile.

“To the strawberry fields…?”

The Romanian demigod gave a shrug, then ran a hand through his midnight blue locks. “Whatever floats your boat.”

Jason made a face as they began walking once more, this time with a specific direction. “You mean whatever flies your plane? I _am_ a son of Jupiter after all.”

Emilian chuckled softly, his pert nose wrinkling slightly, “All of this new stuff is so…”

“Overwhelming?” Jason finished for him, giving the shorter teen a friendly nudge with his elbow. “Hey, you get used to, I promise.”

“Of course you would say that, you were basically born into this thing; sent to train and prove yourself to wolves, or whatever, at age two.”

Jason brows furrowed in confusion. “How’d you know that?”

“The co-counselor of the Aphrodite cabin is Drew. She told me everything—and a little more— when I first got here.”

“Well, when Juno took my memories, it was like a new start for me, I was overwhelmed at first too, but eventually you grow used to it. Things out of the ordinary aren’t viewed as strange anymore, because our existence on Earth in strange in and of itself.”

Emilian gave a small snort that was almost, but not as adorable as Nico’s were. And why was he thinking about the son of Hades right now? Jason gave his head a small shake as Emilian spoke. “You’ve got that right. I always thought my mom was some stuck up bitch who thought she was too good to take care of her kid.”

The demigod tipped his head back and let out a small sigh, his eyes fixed on the expanse of the sky above him. “Now I know she’s a stuck up bitch who believes she’s too good to take care of her _kids_.”

Jason stiffened as a slight, ominous breeze whipped through the air, carrying the distinct scent of roses. “Uh, Emilian? Has anyone ever told you how incredibly _idiotic_ to talk about Olympians, or just the immortals negatively?”

Emilian tore his gaze from the sky with a slight frown. “No…why?”

“There’s a slight chance you might offend them and they could…I don’t know, appear somewhere just to incinerate you.”

The teen’s eyes widened slightly as he gave nervous glance around. “Was…was that wind my…?”

“Most likely,” Jason answered, letting out a relieved sigh with the wind calmed until it no more that a sporadic breeze.

Emilian blanched at that, his brows drawing together as he remained silent. After a few pensive moments of quiet, Jason recalled something from the demigod’s previous statement. “What did you mean when you said Drew told you about everything ‘and a little more’?”

A small smirk tipped up the corners of the Romanian’s lips. “Just gossip that was circulating, as well as… _facts_ she thought I should know.”

Jason’s head tilted to the side, his curiosity getting the best of him. “What kinds of facts?”

The half-blood waved a lazy hand, though his vibrant eyes twinkled with faint amusement. “Oh, just things about who was in a relationship with whom; she told me I should stray from doing anything of the flirtatious manner to Percy Jackson seeing as he has a girlfriend. Leo Valdez is also unavailable, and apparently is in a relationship with a goddess—.”

“Wait,” Jason held up a hand. “You were interested in _Leo_?”

It wasn’t the fact that Leo was a guy that surprised Jason, but just the fact that Leo was… _Leo_. Emilian gave a wicked flash of a smile. “Why not? He’s fucking hot in a sexy mechanic type of way.”

Jason let out a snort of laughter as the Romanian wiggled his brows suggestively. “Okay, okay, I get it. Continue.”

“She also told to stay away from Nico di Angelo because he’s her little…sexy monkey.”

Yep, that was something Drew would say. Emilian paused then, casting a skeptic look in Jason’s direction before he continued speaking. “She also said to stay away from you…because according to her, you belong to Nico, and she said she’d cut my dick off if I try and make a move on you.”

Jason stopped abruptly, his eyes widening. “ _What_?!”

Emilian paused, glancing over his shoulder curiously. “Do you want me to repeat myself?”

“No…no, I just…Nico and I are not in a relationship. He’s not mine, and I’m not… _his_. Nico is just a…” Jason paused, ready to say _friend_ be thought better of it; he wasn’t even _sure_ if they could be counted as friends anymore. “No.”

Surprisingly enough, Jason felt a small pang in his chest as he spoke those words; but they were true, and they needed to be said, mainly for Nico’s sake, seeing as he was sleeping with some unknown camper while simultaneously in love with… _Percy_. He didn’t want Nico getting into any lovers’ quarrels or anything just because of a silly rumor.

“Really?” Emilian asked, turning around fully and taking a cautious step towards the blonde.

Jason nodded and Emilian stepped even closer, looking up into the Roman’s blue orbs sheepishly. “Good, because I’ve been wanting to do this since I first saw you.”

And with that, Emilian lifted himself on his toes, his hands clutching the blonde’s shoulders lightly as he pressed his lips to Jason’s softly. Jason stood there stunned, not given any time to react or even move his lips, or push the half-blood away before Emilian broke the chaste kiss, peering over the former praetor’s shoulder with a triumphant smirk on his full lips, and a twinkle in his effervescent eyes. “Hey, Nico.”

Jason froze, his eyes widening as he felt the presence of someone behind him. _Shit_.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico felt his breath completely stall in his lungs as he stumbled upon the sight of Jason and _him_ ; gods, he barely knew Emilian, but he already hated him. It felt as if his stomach dropped to his feet when he had heard Jason’s voice from a slight distance, rejecting the sheer _thought_ of them being together. _So he is disgusted by me_ , the younger teen thought to himself solemnly, his gaze still fixed on the scene before him, unable to look away not matter how much he wanted to.

And he _really_ wanted to.

 _He has a right to be_ , that damn annoying voice that was his own conscience hissed to him. _You’re nothing but a slut, why would he want to be with you? You’re practically damaged goods._

Nico flinched at his own thoughts, his eyes squeezing shut against the world—against that smug fucking _grin_ on Emilian’s face. As much as he hated to admit it, his own voice was right. Jason was…was the closest thing to perfect Nico had ever laid eyes on. Sure, he had his flaws, but so did everyone; it was just that Jason’s flaws were so terribly _innocent_ , that Nico’s own faults looked like horrific faults next to his. Because of this sheer fact, Nico knew he didn’t stand a chance. Gods, he didn’t even know _why_ he wanted to stand a chance, why he cared that Jason was out here kissing Emilian a mere hour after he had kissed him. “Nico…”

The teen’s eyes flew open at that, and he blinked away the misty haze in his eyes before it could be recognized as anything but something as simple as gloss from his shock induced daze. Jason was looking at him now, his blue eyes wide and cautious, as he stared the younger half-blood in the eyes. Nico already knew what the son of Jupiter was getting ready to say, he didn’t need to hear it a second time, to replay the feeling of suffocation that the words had initially brought on.

And with that thought in mind, Nico steeled himself, mustering whatever strength he could to not let tears—tears he had yet to grasp the meaning of—fall. He wouldn’t humiliate himself by letting his tears flow free; he refused to be viewed as _weak_ by anyone, most of all the son of Aphrodite standing before him. He was already being humiliated in that moment, just standing there like some kind of _freak_ , not moving, or saying a word, just _standing_. It was like being hit by Percy in front of nearly the whole camp. After it had happened, he had refused to feel like that ever again, but here he was, the same emotion spreading throughout his being and making him feel sick with the force of his debasement.

His stomach roiled dangerously as Jason’s mouth opened, and he took a slight step back with a shake of his head, then turned, darting off in the direction of the forest. _Oh gods, I’m gonna puke_ , he thought desperately as he clutched his stomach, the taste of bile rising in the back of his throat as the sound of his feet pounding against the earth echoed in his ears. This situation paired with his heavy drinking last night and into the early morning did _not_ fare well with stomach.

And all the while, that malicious, yet absolutely valid voice whispered deteriorating truths into his mind. _Damaged goods, Nico, damaged goods._

_Jason doesn’t want you, he said it himself, you heard it. You’re a ‘no’ in his books._

_Gods, something must be wrong with you if neither Jason_ nor _Percy want you. I guess all you really are good for is fucking, and in Jason’s case, a kiss or two._

Nico fell to his knees as he reached the safety of the forest, his rather small body trembling as he began heaving up the contents of his stomach, which were not much to begin with. Bile burned the back of his throat as he gagged, a few tears slipping out of his tightly clenched eyes as one arm wrapped around his stomach while the other held him off of the ground. Nico whimpered softly as the second wave of nausea came, making sweat bead across his forehead as the sound of footsteps drew near.

The son of Hades wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then pulled himself to his feet on shaky legs, his brows furrowing with pain as his stomach churned once more. “Nico!”

The raven haired demigod cursed himself inwardly as Jason came skidding to a stop beside him, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of the vomit staining the forest floor, and the panted demigod resting against a tree, his eyes closed tightly. “Holy Hera…come on, I’ll take you back to—.”

Nico threw up a hand as Jason took another step forward, his eyes cracking open as he winced from the pain emanating in his stomach. “Just…stop.”

“Neeks—.”

The only warning the boy gave was the slight squinting of his eyes before he doubled over, retching weakly once again, that arm clutching his stomach trembling weakly. Nico glanced back over to Jason to see his eyes as wide as saucers, and his skin paling by the second. “N-Nico, there’s _blood_ in your vomit.”

Nico frowned absently, his mind an unpleasant haze as he looked down, and sure enough, laced in with the contents of his stomach was blood. The son of Hades merely stared at the mess distantly, beginning to sway on his feet unsteadily. What the hell was that loud ringing noise? And why was the world moving without him? And for the love of Zeus, why was everything so fucking bright? Nico’s hand clenched the bark of the tree as black spots began dancing in his vision, and he flinched as he heard Jason call his name once more, the sound grating against his ears harshly. He felt hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly, and he groaned weakly as he pushed the hands away in favor of turning to the side to retch once more. “There’s more blood,” he heard Jason exclaim anxiously as he scooped a barely coherent Nico from the forest floor, patting his cheek softly. “Neeks, hang in there, okay?”

More black spots entered his vision until everything went black, and the last thing he heard was Jason’s call for the person he loathed most at the moment.

“Emilian!”

~*~

Nico stared back at Chiron defiantly, his arms crossed over the dull hospital gown that was hanging from his small frame, and reaching past his knees. Jason cleared his throat awkwardly from his chair next to the bed. Nico didn’t even spare him a glance, set on keeping his eyes trained on the centaur’s dull brown ones.

Chiron made an irritated sound in the back of his throat, his eyes rolling slowly before he looked away from the son of Hades and to the other inhabitants of the considerably sized room. Nico didn’t look away though, _refused_ to do until he was by himself, or at least until he and Chiron were the only ones left in the room. The centaur shifted in his wheelchair, settling himself comfortably as he slid his gaze back to Nico’s, who merely arched a single dark brow emotionlessly. Chiron cleared his throat loudly, signaling the beginning of the conversation. “Are you aware of what happened to you, Mr. di Angelo?”

Nico shrugged with a forced laziness. “I threw up and passed out. Whoopdee doo.”

Chiron’s face hardened, and his hands tightened in his “lap” tightly. “No, not ‘whoopdee doo’, and it is not as simple or amusing as that.”

The son of Hades gave an exaggerated yawn, nestling himself back into his pillows with a slight smirk on his face as he merely watched the centaur. “What I wished to know, is how one of my _seventeen year-old_ campers ended up in the infirmary with _alcohol_ poisoning. Any ideas, Nico?”

Nico grinned smugly at the camp director, his orbs glinting mischievously. “Nope, sorry.”

“Wait, you _drink_?” came a voice that didn’t belong anywhere near him.

Nico had to keep himself from reacting as he saw Emilian lean closer to the son of Jupiter in his peripheral vision. “Is that even allowed here? Why is he the only one who gets to do it? I know he’s a son of one of the gods in the Big Three, or whatever, but—.”

“Gods, would you shut the hell up?” Nico drawled, sliding a disgusted glance in Emilian’s direction briefly. “Your voice is making my head pound.”

“ _Language_ , Nico,” Chiron snapped, his brows furrowing with frustration. “And I asked you a question that you have yet to give an acceptable answer to.”

“I’m aware. I gave you an answer and that’s the only one you’re getting—.”

“Nico,” Jason bit out from beside him. “You’re being rude—.”

“Go fuck yourself, _Wonder Boy_ ,” the son of Hades cut in, still not directly addressing the blonde.

The centaur pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out in irritated huff of breath through his nostrils. “Nico, have you been drinking?”

“Why yes, however did you know?” Nico asked wryly.

Chiron’s head tilted to the side critically. “How many cups or bottles do you drink when you do decide to do so?”

Nico gave a small shrug. “I lose count after about six wine coolers.”

“Six?!” Emilian nearly leapt up from his chair, but Jason grasped his wrist, keeping him in place with a mere look.

Did Nico mention he hated that kid? Chiron rubbed a hand down his face, his skin paling by the seconds. “Nico, that’s not…that’s not—.”

“Okay? Normal?” Nico finished, leaning back against the headboard and closing his eyes against the harsh light of the room. “I’m aware.”

“How many times a week would you say you drink?”

“Six…no, wait, seven. And that's spread sporadically through the week just so you know. Or sometimes seven times a day, it depends.”

This time, Jason jumped up from his chair. “Seven?!”

Nico ignored him, keeping his eyes trained on Chiron as the centaur motioned for the son of Jupiter to sit back down. “Do you…do you think you have an issue with your drinking, Mr. di Angelo? Such as… _an addiction_?”

“Probably.”

“If I advised you to someone, would you seek them out for help?”

Nico snorted cynically. “Nope.”

Jason placed an insistent hand on Nico’s forearm. “Nico, I really think you should hear him out—.”

Nico yanked his arm away so quickly, he tottered on the bed precariously, a brief wave of nausea washing over him before the younger demigod regained himself, a growl building in the back of his throat as Jason reached out to steady him. “And I _really_ think you should leave me alone.”

“Gentlemen,” Chiron cut in stiffly, his forehead wrinkling with concern as he focused back on the son of Hades. “Nico, I cannot allow drinking at this camp. The next time this happens, I will be forced to send you to your father—.”

“I’d love to see that,” Emilian snorted, his eyes twinkling. “You, getting disciplined by the god of _death_ ; priceless.”

Nico merely gave him a wolfish grin. “I’m afraid that won’t happen seeing as my father is the one who first got me started on my _unhealthy_ alcohol addiction.”

“This is getting absolutely nowhere,” Chiron pointed out, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion. “Nico, the acid in your vomit eroded the tissue of your esophagus, which is what caused the blood to surface. We will talk about this in detail later, but for now, I am needed back in the arena; I must teach archery.”

With that, the centaur wheeled himself out of the room, leaving the space deathly quiet in his wake. Nico’s jaw was clenched so tightly, he was surprised his teeth had yet to shatter as he stared at the place Chiron had been. “Emilian,” Jason started softly, “I think you should go to your activities now.”

“But what about you?” the teen asked in a voice so sickeningly sweet, Nico was sure he would have been vomiting all over the place if not for the nectar and ambrosia he had taken.

“I’m going to stay with, Nico.”

The son of Aphrodite hesitated, seeming to want to protest, but apparently thought better of doing so. “I’ll see you then, Jason. _Nico_.”

The raven haired demigod remained as stiff as a board even after the door shut loudly, almost petulantly behind the Romanian. The former praetor reached out to brush a few locks of hair from the younger teen’s eyes, only to have him flinch back from his touch. “Nico, you won’t even _look_ at me,” he pointed out softly, his tone on the verge of helplessness.

The son of Hades turned his head slightly, biting down on his lower lip as his obsidian colored locks hid his eyes from view. _Nico is just a…no_.

He winced as he recalled the words, his rather small fists clenching in the bedspread tightly. “You kissed him right after you kissed me.”

“Nico—.”

“If you didn’t want to kiss me, Jason, you should have just told me so,” Nico snapped, balling up the fabric of the blanket in his fists. “Instead of making me look like an idiot.”

“I _did_ want to,” Jason protested, throwing up his hands helplessly.

“’Nico is a…no,” the son of Hades repeated, his vision blurring as he stared down at his hands. “That’s what you said.”

“You heard that?”

Nico’s laugh came out bitter and harsh, and ended as quickly as it started. “Yeah, I did. Your fault, huh?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, okay?” Jason stressed, his sky blue orbs pleading for the younger demigod to believe him.

When Nico didn’t respond, Jason stood from his chair as settled himself down on the bed. Nico simply remained looking down until the son of Jupiter grasped his chin, turning his head until their gazes locked for a moment, then the younger demigod averted his eyes. “Nico, look at me,” Jason demanded softly, running his thumb along the younger teen’s smooth skin soothingly.

Unwittingly, Nico’s gaze flickered up and met Jason’s, and only then did the older teen begin to speak. “I didn’t say that to hurt you, okay? I said it because I don’t want rumor spreading around you and I being together—.”

“Are you really that embarrassed of me?”

“You’re not listening—.”

“Because I’ve heard enough!” Nico growled out. “I _saw_ enough. You kissed him moments after you kissed me, and you don’t even _care_ about how that makes me feel!”

“I didn’t even kiss him, Nico, he kissed _me_.”

Nico shook his head stubbornly, dead set on his theory of Jason being disgusted with him, of what he had done—was _doing_. “No, I saw—.”

“Why does it even _matter_?!” Jason shouted suddenly, jumping up from the bed as his brows furrowed with irritation.

“Because it’s not right—.”

“And you think it’s right to play these little _mind games_ with me?” Jason shoved a frustrated hand through his hair.

“Mind games?” Nico repeated, obviously taken aback.

“Yes, mind games. You’re _sleeping_ with someone else, Nico, and you’re in love with Percy. Gods, I don’t _want_ to have feelings for you, okay?! I don’t want to willingly put myself in a position where I know I’m gonna be hurt, because you’re going to choose everybody over me, and ultimately, you’ll choose _him_ over me,” Jason paced the length of the room anxiously. “And I hate him; I hate him because he has your attention, in ways that I never will. Just look at me!”

“I am looking at you!”

“Not like that, the way you look at _him_ ,” Jason made a desperate sound in the back of his throat, then slammed his fist against the wall, making Nico flinch in surprise as tears unwittingly sprang to his eyes at the hopeless look shining in the older teen’s eyes. He had never seen Jason so… _volatile_ , and so unsure of himself.

Nico felt mouth dry as Jason continued to speak, his words coming out frantic and rushed.

“Why are you making me _feel_ like this; like I can’t even breathe, or think, whenever I’m around you?” Jason turned to look at the son of Hades, his face twisted with distress. “You’re basically implying that I need to devote myself to you while you’re off doing gods know what. That’s not fair; _it’s not fair_ , okay? You don’t feel a damn thing for me, and yet I have to be the one to give up everything for you!”

Jason took a deep breath, then gave a bitter laugh, his voice breaking in the middle with the force of his emotions. “And the really shitty part about this whole situation is, I’d do it all in a heartbeat if you’d just ask.”

A flash of pain crossed Jason’s sculpted features before he turned, walking stiffly to the door and disappearing out into the hall. Nico swallowed around the lump that seemed to have lodged itself in his throat over the last few minutes, his hands loosening their hold on the bedspread as he pulled his legs to his chest, his fingers tangling in his dark locks as he buried his face between the apex of his knees.

Gods, he was such a fuck up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've got a few questions for you all that I'd greatly appreciate if you answering.  
> Firstly, how would you feel if I made one of the characters, who I shall not name (but they WILL be female; I'm not exactly sure how I would go about writing a male pregnancy story, seeing as I am not a very experienced writer, and I don't want to risk offending anyone by trying so early on in my writing), get pregnant.  
> I was planning to just go ahead and do it, but then I thought about it and realized that some of you all would not be as okay with it as others might me, so please, tell me what you think. [ :  
> Another question that's going to seem very irrelevant, but is actually quite relevant is; how do you all feel about vampires? Like them, hate them? Let me know. [ :  
> Thanks for reading! x


	16. And the Time is Moving Slower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's the Aphrodisiac again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO DARLINGS.  
> Goodness, this chapter was difficult to write, but with the help of Rhea Horan, I got it out.  
> Thanks to my oh-so wonderful beta, Wookiecookie for helping me get my shiz together.  
> Oh yes, and thanks to all you sexy peoples for responding to my impromptu poll, it really helps for ideas for further chapters as well as future stories.  
> And thanks to all of you who left comments and kudos as well as those of you who simply read my story. [ :  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcomed; enjoy. [ ;  
> * There IS minor smut in this chapter, just sayin'. *

** Nico’s POV **

With another bite of ambrosia and a quick sip of nectar just as a precaution, Nico was on his way out of the infirmary, more lost than he had been before he had gotten there. He took a deep, unconscious breath as he stepped outside, reveling in the natural smell of air rather than the scent of disinfectant and chemicals that hung in the air of the infirmary. With his hands slid into the pockets— _Jason’s_ —newly washed jogging pants, he made his way to his second activity of the day—something he hadn’t really done since the start of the summer. And well…he only had himself to blame for that.

Nico nibbled on his lower lip as he thought back to the… _conversation_ he and Jason had earlier, his dark brows creasing thoughtfully. He was an ass. A completely selfish ass and he knew it. In the back of his mind all the while when he had been kissing Jason, he knew he was wrong. Jason was a good guy, and he didn’t deserve to have his emotions toyed with the way Nico was playing with them at the moment.

But then again Nico didn’t _want_ Jason to be with anyone else. No matter how hard it was for him to admit that to himself. He didn’t know why he had felt so betrayed and hurt when he had seen Jason and Emilian kissing one another. Or Emilian kissing Jason. Whatever. He didn’t have a _right_ to feel such a way when he was claiming to be in love with the son of Poseidon and sleeping with him as well. No matter how confusing his feelings on the matter were, he knew he felt something towards Jason. He didn’t know exactly _what_ he was feeling, but it was something. And a tiny part of him that he wasn’t yet ready to acknowledge wanted the son of Jupiter all to himself.

Nico let out a shaky breath of air, his hands tightening into fists within the confines of his pockets. “Nico!”

That was the only warning the raven haired demigod received before he was pounced upon, a startled yelp forcing its way from his previously pursed lips as he was showered with kisses everywhere on his scrunched up face except for his mouth. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it was at that point. “Ugh, Drew, get off!”

“Hello, my little sexy monkey,” Drew purred, pressing yet another kiss to his rapidly darkening cheeks.

Nico grunted in irritation as he attempted to push away the doting daughter of Aphrodite, only succeeding in getting a quick breath of fresh air before she was back, smothering him with kisses as well as the scent of her sickeningly sweet designer perfume. “Drew, people are staring,” Nico grumbled, wriggling within the confines of the girl’s surprisingly strong arms.

“Let them. That way they’ll know that you’re _my_ booboo.”

Nico’s upper lip curled in distaste as Drew pressed a kiss a little too close to his lips for comfort. Then before he knew it, he was jumping out of her arms with a surprised yelp, his hands covering his backside as he shuffled away from the older teen, his eyes wide and jaw slackened. “Drew! Quit touching my ass!”

He heard an amused chuckle then turned slightly to see Mitchell, Drew’s sibling, standing off to the side with a slight smile on his face. “Good luck getting her under control. She’s like an animal in heat, simultaneously hyped up on steroids when she gets like this; I’m guessing you’re her new—.”

“He’s my sexy monkey,” Drew chimed in with a devious smirk as she made another grab for the younger demigod’s backside.

“Do something!” Nico nearly begged, turning to the son of Aphrodite with wide eyes.

“That’s all you,” he snorted in response, giving the son of Hades and his sibling one last amused chuckle before he walked away.

“Okay, okay, I’m done,” Drew said with a slight pout, holding her hands up in the air. “I don’t understand why you won’t let me touch your ass; it’s fucking _phenomenal_.”

“ _Drew_.”

“Fine. What’s your second activity?”

It never ceased to amaze him how fast she could go from wanting to get all friendly with his backside to casual and completely normal within a second. Gods that girl was strange. “Sword fighting in the arena.”

Nico winced at the high pitched squeal of delight the female demigod gave, scuttling away as she moved to wrap him in her arms. “We have the same activity!” Drew exclaimed, flipping her silky locks over her shoulder as she grinned at the younger half-blood, falling in step beside him when he continued his walk towards the arena.

“Woohoo,” Nico deadpanned, nearly letting his thoughts drift before Drew pulled him back to reality with a light nudge.

“What goes on? You seem kind of…. _down_.”

Nico gave a small shrug, averting his gaze in favor of studying the ground beneath him as they moved, absently trusting Drew to tell him if he would run into anyone or anything. “I’m fine.”

“I’m not beneath squeezing your ass to get the truth out of you,” the pretty Asian warned, her dark brows risen in a silent challenge.

“Why am I not surprised by that?” Nico muttered, a scowl morphing his features as Drew spoke once more.

“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Personally, I prefer the hard way seeing as I’ll get a handful of that ass again—.”

“ _Gods_ , okay, okay, stop it, I’ll tell you.”

Drew smiled, her lashes caked with mascara batting triumphantly. “Well go one then, I don’t have all day.”

“Jason and I got into an argument.”

“About what?”

Nico’s obsidian colored brows furrowed pensively as he debated whether or not to tell Drew the source of their argument. _You don’t have to tell her **everything**_ , he reminded himself as he unconsciously began kicking up the rocks beneath his feet. _Besides. You can just have her swear on the River Styx just as a precaution._

“Swear on the River Styx that you won’t tell anyone first.”

“Sweet baby Dionysus, you’re so excessive,” Drew complained before she made the oath, a slight frown on her face as she did so. “Okay, now tell me.”

“I…” Nico squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as the words spilled from his lips in haste. “Jason and I kissed.”

Drew was silent for all of half of a second before she exploded in yet another round of delighted squeals. “Oh my gods, _yes_! I knew this was gonna happen; I totally called this you know.”

“But—.”

“How does he kiss? Oh, no, no, wait, were there tongues involved? How about heavy petting; was there any of that? Does he taste as good as he looks? I can’t believe—.”

“Drew, _wait_ —.”

“Does this mean you two are together now? Because Jason doesn’t seem like the type of guy to just kiss _anybody_ —.”

“He and Emilian kissed.”

That made the daughter of Aphrodite pause, and she turned to look at him, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. “They _what_?”

“Kissed. Well, he said Emilian kissed him, but it’s basically that same thing, right?” he inquired sheepishly, looking up at the fuming demigod from beneath his lashes.

“ _No_ , it’s not the same thing, you idiot!” Drew growled out, her nails popping ominously as she flicked them together restlessly. “I told him— _warned_ him—that if he so much as laid a finger on Jason he’d be missing a penis.”

Nico’s eyes widened as Drew tipped her head back, a completely wicked laugh falling from her glossed lips as her dark brown locks cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. “I’m gonna castrate him.”

The son of Hades merely watched and listening with caution as Drew rambled on about her “torture” methods. “—And then, I’m gonna pour off-brand Calvin Klein cologne _all_ over his shit, and see how he enjoys smelling as fake as he is.”

“It’s not that big—.”

“If you say it’s not that big a deal, I’ll fucking cut your balls off, because you’re lying to yourself and me as well.”

Nico blanched at the thought, averting his gaze to the ground as Drew continued her rant. “Oh, he has no _idea_ how bad he’s gonna get it. He’d better sleep with one eye open from now on.”

“…You done?”

Drew took a deep breath, then nodded, a disturbingly bright smile fixed on her glossy lips. “Yeah.”

“So…we argued about that, and that’s all.”

Drew’s perfectly groomed brows arched as she stared at the younger demigod skeptically. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

“No, but that’s all I’m telling you.”

The two half-bloods walked in silence for a few moments before Drew spoke once again, her tone cautious and soft. “Do you think he likes Emilian? Is that what you’re worried about?”

Nico kept his gaze on the ground, not yet quite willing to spill his guts to the daughter of Aphrodite. After all, his trust in her hadn’t been very willing, he was more _forced_ to trust in her; so could one blame him for his doubts? “Look, I don’t really want to talk about this—.”

Nico was cut off as Drew bumped him in the side lightly with a curvy hip. “He won’t take Jason from you. You’ve got that boy right under your thumb. He would probably steal his father’s Master Bolt for you, which I don’t suggest you ask of him unless you want a repeat of a few years ago—.”

“Late!” a coarse voice shouted in their direction, and Nico spotted head of rust colored hair, barely refraining from rolling his eyes at the sneer on Clarisse’s face.

“Yeah, yeah, I think we realize that,” Drew’s upper lip curled ever so slightly in distaste as she gestured towards the daughter of Ares’ unruly hair. “Really, Clarisse? I bought you that shampoo and hair conditioner for a reason, not just for a decoration in the shower; consider using it maybe?”

And with that, Drew sashayed over to the stands of the arena, leaving behind a slightly stunned son of Hades and near a snarling Clarisse la Rue. “You coming, Nico?” the daughter of Aphrodite peered over her shoulder, her eyes trained on him expectantly as her hip jutted out lazily.

“Uh…yeah,” he muttered, scurrying over to the female demigod before Clarisse could even get a word in, but that didn’t stop her from grumbling to herself angrily.

Nico settled himself in a spot beside Drew as Clarisse began giving out instruction for sword sparring with the quite neglected dummies centered in the arena. “Half of you will go up now, and the rest, after the five minute break.”

Her harsh stare wandered around the seats of the arena before she began calling out demigods to come down. “—Stoll. Your brother isn’t even _here_ , dumbass; you know I’m talking to you Travis. Grace, drop that humble bullshit and get your ass up here,” Clarisse barked, her thumb jerking in the direction of the newly repaired training dummies.

Nico groaned softly, dropping his head into his hands as he spotted a familiar mop of golden blonde locks. Of _course_ he would be in an activity with Jason right after they argued. So caught up in his self pity, Nico barely lifted his head as Clarisse continued her calling. “Tanaka—.”

“Oh don’t even _think_ about it, honey. I just did my nails this morning, it’s not happening.” Drew wiggled her sparkly, pink nails as Clarisse rubbed an irritated hand down her face.

“Gods, it’s too early for this,” she mumbled loudly before she trained her gaze on Nico. “Alright then, come on down, di Angelo—.”

“No,” Drew protested, her lower lip poked out petulantly as she wrapped her arm around Nico’s bicep tightly. “I won’t let my little sex panther get sweaty and grimy—gods, the simple thought of it is just  _ew._ ”

A few campers chuckled as Nico’s cheeks darkened, and he barely stopped himself from burying his head in Drew’s long, flowing locks just to escape their humored gazes. Clarisse made a sound that was alarmingly close to an animalistic growl. “Fine! Hey, you…yeah, you. Darren, right? Get your ass over here and pick out a dummy that’s _not_ one of your siblings.”

The son of Hermes simply gave the daughter of Ares a goofy smile as he stopped before a dummy. “All right, begin!”

No matter how much he resisted, Nico’s gaze wandered back to the son of Jupiter, blocking out Drew’s words as she rambled on about something she read in a fashion magazine. Gods, Jason was… _attractive_. More than attractive actually; he reminded Nico of something along the lines of an ancient artifact. Not because of his age, no, but because he was simply amazing to look at, but basically illegal to touch. But Nico had touched. And not just once. Given that it wasn’t more than a few desperate clutches onto the older teen’s muscular biceps while their lips were locked, it was more than the average person would get.

Nico felt his eyes becoming irritated when he forgot to blink; swearing up and down that he would miss something if he looked away for more than half a second. He blinked rapidly as Jason jabbed the training dummy brutally, his features a mask of concentration and seriousness as he jumped back when the dummy tottered forward, merely impaling itself on the blonde’s imperial gold sword. Jason yanked his weapon out of the dummy’s gut with a grunt, he brows creased as he swung at the mannequin skillfully, his sword lodging itself in the dummy’s shoulder before the son of Jupiter removed it one more, whirling on his heel as he went for the finishing blow, slicing off the model’s head with a near silent _swish_.

Jason never went for such hostile “kills”, and Nico knew he only had himself to blame for that despite Clarisse’s excited whoops. He undoubtedly had the son of Jupiter stressed and distraught, so it was only natural that he would take out his anxieties on an inanimate object. Nonetheless, that didn’t make it any less disturbing and awe inspiring. As Jason lifted his arms over his head, Nico’s mind was assaulted with images that were _completely_ out of place at a time like such as the older teen’s muscles became more defined with his movements.

The blonde’s muscular body glistening with water, making his frame even _more_ tantalizing if that was at all possible. Gods, how in Tartarus was it possible for someone to be so fucking… _sexy_ , and muscular? One couldn’t forget the muscles that should have been impossible for a teen under the age of eighteen to even _imagine_ having much less _have_ already. And not only was Jason visibly attractive, but attractive on an emotional level as well. And if that weren’t enough, Jason was certainly packing in a certain region Nico shouldn’t have even been _thinking_ about. But he couldn’t help it much; especially not when Jason was the source of his heartache as well as sexual frustrations.

Nico felt his face heat at the thought, his hands fisting the fabric of his pants as he pondered his halfhearted accusations. He soon came to that conclusion that overall, he was correct. Jason _was_ making him sexually frustrated. Kissing him until he could barely breathe, and when he actually _got_ an opportunity to take in a precious breath of air, all he tasted on the tip of his tongue was _Jason_. And then—get this—Jason ran off to _shower_ , leaving him hanging with a rather large problem within the confines of his pants. Similar to the one that was making itself known that very moment as the young demigod absently repeated the image of the Roman’s nude form within his mind. The son of Hades bit down on his lower lip, stifling a helpless sound as he brought to mind the sensation of Jason’s lips on his skin.

He needed to stop. To get control of himself, because his thoughts were _far_ from friendly.

Just as Nico looked up steeling himself to tear his gaze away, Jason lifted the fabric of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow, unintentionally giving those watching a peek of his abs. And not just any abs; perfect, drool worthy abdominals that seemed to gather a collective sigh from a few campers in the seats of the arena. And that was the last straw for the son of Hades. Nico jumped up from his place beside Drew, his face flushed with what one would believe was the heat, but was actually a flush of desire that seemed to surge up out nowhere. “Nico…?” Drew’s head tilted to the side as the younger demigod fumbled with the overly large t-shirt that he was adorning, pulling it down insistently to hide his raging erection.

“I-I-I have to go,” he mumbled, his face heating up further as Drew narrowed her eyes skeptically and he shifted his gaze once more to the half-blood who had captured his attention.

“Why? Are you sick or something?”

“No, I just—.” Nico paused as he caught sight of the son of Jupiter running his tongue across his lower lip as he concentrated on the training dummy before him. _Oh gods_ , why did Jason have to be so…fucking _sexy_ and provoke his sporadic hormones? He had just had sex _yesterday_! And now Jason had him feeling all hot and tingly all over.

“You just what?” Drew reached out to grab the demigod’s wrist, only succeeding in brushing her fingertips across his skin until he jerked away, his breathing more labored than before as Jason flashed a charming smile at something Travis Stoll had just said.

Nico bit down on his tongue, forcing back the soft moan that tried to force its way past his clenched lips. It wasn’t that Drew gave him the hots, no; it was that his skin was _much_ too sensitive for casual, friendly touches. “I j-just have to go,” he stammered, turning away before Drew could so much as get another word in.

And much to his dismay, that didn’t stop her from trying to figure out his problem. “Jason!” the daughter of Aphrodite called out, making Nico freeze in his tracks. “I think something’s wrong with Nico.”

The young Italian could feel the moment Jason turned to look at him, and he could imagine the blonde’s golden brows furrowing as concern brewed in those sky blue orbs, despite the spat the two demigods were going through at the moment. Nico heard more than sensed Jason flipping his weapon into the air, and undoubtedly catching it when it became a coin once more. The older teen was dropping everything that he was doing in favor jogging over to his side. Oh fuck no. If Jason so much as laid a _finger_ on him, he would cream his pants. With that thought in mind, Nico bolted off in the direction of his cabin, ignoring Drew and Jason’s puzzled calls for him to stop.

Nico squeezed his eyes shut momentarily against the sensation of the fabric of his underwear running along his growing member. This was a problem; a big, big, _big_ problem. Maybe if he could find Percy really quick—no, he didn’t _want_ Percy. He wanted…wanted—. “Hey, Superman!”

Nico’s eyes snapped open as he narrowly missed running into Leo, who cursed loudly before jumping out of the way. “Watch it, Ghost King!”

“Leo, grab him!” Jason demanded.

“What’s going on? Aren’t we supposed to be making your shrine…?”

Leo’s voice faded away as the raven haired demigod neared his cabin, his fists clenching at his sides as he quickly gathered the surrounding shadows around his flushed form, a quick sigh of relief brushing past his lips as he visibly took in the contents of his cabin, immediately darting for the bed, his hands already fumbling with the elastic waistband of the sweats.

He needed to get this over with quickly. Jason would undoubtedly be storming into his cabin in less than ten minutes, demanding to know if something was wrong with him. The thought evoked a halfhearted growl of irritation from the teen as he hastily tossed aside his bottoms, not bothering to remove his briefs as he splayed himself across his unmade bed, his hand already delving beneath the waistband of his underwear.

A needy whimper bubbled over Nico’s lips as his fingertips brushed over the head of his cock, making him jerk forward into the warmth of his own hand as he shoved his briefs further down his backside, fully exposing his painfully erect member. He never remembered feeling so _desperate_ whenever he had done this. Matter of fact, he hadn’t been this wanton even when he hadn’t touched himself for a week and a half before Percy. So what was so different with him now?

Nico ran his hand down his length, squeezing gently and forcing a soft hiss from his parted lips. Gods he needed to cum. And he needed to do it right now. With that thought in mind, he strengthened his strokes, his eyes squeezing shut as he gave up on the task of keeping himself quiet, a low moan rumbling in his throat as he felt precum slipping down his steadily weeping length. He bucked into his own hand as his mind helpfully brought forth the images sea green eyes and surfer-tan skin moving against his own.

And then the images disappeared, changing to something Nico was sure he had never experienced before, something he had never found himself fantasizing over, but it certainly got his hand moving faster over the length of his cock, and his body curling in on itself as his brows furrowed with desperate concentration. A flash of sun kissed tanned skin and a charming smile had him whimpering as he imagined those strong, calloused hands on him at that moment, running down partially nude, writhing body as he shamelessly pled for more. Those sinfully plush lips would tip up in a small, teasing smile as he arched into the touches, his own hands shakily reaching out to run over the tanned expanse of skin. _Nico_ , he would murmur, then those hands would touch him _there_ , and a flash of the most mesmerizing blue would have him tipping over the edge as their lips pressed together.

“ _Jason_.” The name was a strangled cry as Nico came, cum spilling over his rapidly moving hand as he curled in on himself further, his eyes squeezing shut against the world as pleasure pulsed through his very core, making his small frame tremble as he continued to stroke his hand over his rapidly softening cock, his pace slowing until he could no longer bear the touch of his own hand.

The son of Hades clutched the sheet below his head with his free hand, his breath coming out in labored pants as he fought to regain himself from the throes of passion, a small shiver running through him as he shifted, the fabric of his briefs brushing over his member lightly. The raven haired demigod was content to sleep, and was ready to do so until he heard an insistent knock on the other side of the door. “Nico? Nico, I know you’re in there. I…I’m coming in, okay?”

The young demigod’s eyes snapped open as he heard the knob jingle ominously; making him painfully aware of the precarious position he was in, his cock giving a weak jolt at the thought of the person behind the door.

It was none other than Jason. Jason Grace, the _same_ son of Jupiter whose very smile brought Nico coming in his own hand, the older teen’s name spilling over his lips reverently.

This was not good.

Nico yanked his heavy, black comforter over his head just as the door began creaking open, almost as if Jason was apprehensive of what he would find. Had he been outside of the door when his name slid from the son of Hades’ lips unconsciously? Nico squeezed his eyes shut against the anxiety and embarrassment that began brewing in his lower stomach. Oh gods, if Jason really heard that, he’d pack his shit and go to the Underworld, never to show his face at Camp Half-Blood again.

“Nico?”

The teen in question felt a pleasurable tingling sensation erupt faintly along his skin at the sound of his name on the Roman’s lips. His eyes cracked open as he heard the door shut softly, then the telltale sounds of Jason moving over to his bed hesitantly. The mere _thought_ of Jason close to his bed, close to _him_ made a strained whimper slip from his lips, and he heard the blonde pause as he inwardly cursed himself, trying to dissipate the fog that hazed his mind with every step closer Jason took.

“Neeks? You…you okay?”

Nico bit down on his lower lip, his dark brows scrunched together in concentration as he struggled to find words in order to respond to the older teen while simultaneously fighting to keep his hand from inching towards his rapidly hardening cock. “Y-Yeah, m’f-fine.”

He could imagine the look on Jason’s face when silence descended; his golden brows would be risen dubiously, and his lips twisted to the side skeptically. Nico gave a nearly pained groan. Okay, Jason lips were _not_ something he should be thinking of at a time like this. As a matter of fact, it seemed to make the tingling sensations become stronger, the impression familiar to something he had experienced a while ago, but just couldn’t put his finger on at the moment. “You don’t sound ‘fine’…”Jason trailed off, and Nico could _feel_ him moving closer, the hazy cloud thickening in mind as faint warning bells went off as well as a result of the Roman’s close proximity.

“Is it your stomach again? Or is it your throat this time, Chiron did say it might bother you for a while. I can bring you some nectar or ambrosia if—.”

“Oh gods.” Nico’s voice was a breathy rush as his fingertips trailed over the head of his cock, the tip of a fingernail catching on the slit and making him shudder pleasurably.

Okay. What the _hell_ was he doing? The thought barely registered in his clouded mind as Jason drew closer, the warning bells in his head ringing more insistently when he felt the covers being pulled back from his face slowly. Gradually, his mind began to register the situation. He was _pant-less_ beneath the covers, and ultimately _underwear-less_ as well. His eyes snapped open as the blanket slid down his forehead, revealing his dark orbs as the haze cleared from his mind enough for him to make a sound of panic, instantly removing his hand from his throbbing member in favor of wrestling the fabric out of the older teen’s strong grip.

“Stop it, Jason,” he argued weakly, his face scrunching up in halfhearted irritation when the blonde merely tightening his hold.

“You stop,” Jason retorted with a bland look. “What’s wrong with you?”

“N-Nothing!” Nico protested, his eyes wide with fright as Jason tugged harder on the blanket.

The blonde paused for a moment, though his grip never slackened. “I didn’t mean to snap on you earlier, you know that. It’s just that a lot of things have being on, and…yeah, it’s been stressful, I never meant—.”

“I get it, okay? Just go away!”

Nico grit his teeth as he felt the urge to take is words back; to tell the former praetor to stay, to just be _close_ to him, and most of all, to _touch_ him. _Yes, touching would be very nice_ , a voice Nico hated to identify as his conscience hissed temptingly. At that thought, his free hand absently began twitching towards his erect length.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but what he _did_ know was that he wasn’t in the right mind to even attempt to figure it out at the moment. He had never been so _shameless_ before, and that’s exactly what his actions were. Itching to jerk himself off beneath the covers while thinking about Jason while he was standing _right_ over him was not something he would normally do, nor did it really appeal to him. But now, the thought of being caught doing what he was doing was _intoxicating_. The thought of Jason catching him sent a rush through him, the tingling sensations strengthening until he felt as if his skin was vibrating. What would happen if Jason caught him? Would he take Nico right then and there? Help finish him off?

The younger teen had to bite down on his lower lip at the low whine that attempted to escape his tightly sealed lips. The outcomes were endless. But he couldn’t imagine Jason doing anything of the negative sort, so that just left him with positives results.

And the positive results were _so_ worth the risks.

Lids lowering to half mast, Nico inched his hand back towards his painfully hard length, hyperaware of Jason’s gaze on him the whole time. “Neeks…are you sure you’re okay? Your skin is _really_ flushed…do you have a fever?”

Nico made a sound disturbingly close to a purr as Jason reached out, ready to press the back of his hand to his damp forehead. Just a little closer, a little bit closer and Jason would be—. A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, a soft whine of displeasure passing his lips as Jason pulled his hand away, already heading towards the door.

While he was distracted, Nico took the opportunity to slip his length back into his briefs, the tingling sensation having lessened enough for his mind to clear slightly and register the immensity of what was going on.

Pants. First, he needed pants.

Nico slid out of bed on shaky legs, his chest heaving a less rapidly than before, but still rising and falling rapidly nonetheless. When he spotted the sweatpants he had stripped out of earlier, he made a soft sound of reluctance at the thought of putting them back on. He was so fucking _hot_. He almost had himself convinced that he would melt if he put them back on. Despite his unwillingness, he reached down, tottering precariously on his wobbly legs and removed the article of clothing, weakly inserting his legs. Nico let out a huff of halfhearted irritation through his nose when he struggled weakly to get his other leg into the overly large pants. It was no surprise when half a second later, he was falling to the floor, landing in a tangle of limbs and clothing.

“Ouch,” he mumbled as Jason turned around, his eyes widening slightly at the sight that awaited him.

“Are…are you taking off your _pants_?”

Nico’s mind worked sluggishly to get his limbs to cooperate as he slid his leg through the designated place in the pants as well as comprehend the older teen’s words. In the end, he merely ended up whimpering his displeasure of being in the constricting clothing once more, feebly tugging at the fabric of his shirt, his dark brows furrowed. “I’m hot.”

Jason frowned, completely disregarding the person at the door in favor of moving to his side with a small frown. “It’s really cool in here, Neeks…”

The younger demigod shook his head, a few strands of his midnight colored hair clinging to his sweaty forehead at the motion. “T-Touch…”

He reached out to the blonde pitifully, and Jason immediately moved to do just as he requested until a skeptical voice stopped him. “Did he…did he just say _touch_?”

Nico squinted at the figure in the doorway, a frown marring his pouty lips as the figure moved closer. Piper; what in Hades’ name was _she_ doing here? “Yeah,” Jason muttered, turning his attention back to the panting boy on the floor, his pupils blown wide and making his already dark orbs appear to be black.

“…Oh gods, Jason, don’t let him touch you!” Piper demanded, rushing forward and yanking the blonde back just as Nico reached out to grasp his outstretched hand.

Nico made a sound of discontentment as Jason stumbled back, turning to face Piper when he regained his footing. “What the—?”

“Touch, Jason? Think about it, when was the only other time when he was _this_ desperate for touch?”

Jason stared at his ex-girlfriend curiously before it dawned on him, his lips parting slightly with shock. “When he took the…”

“Aphrodisiac,” Piper finished dangerously, eyeing the son of Hades cautiously as he made a soft, desperate sound in the back of his throat.

** Jason’s POV **

He didn’t know what to do.

The Roman watched the son of Hades as struggled against the bonds on his wrists that connected to the headboard of his bed, keeping him in place. It was cruel and completely degrading, Jason knew it, but they couldn’t have Nico running around and humping the leg of every camper in sight. That would _certainly_ get him kicked out of the camp. And being kicked out of Camp Half-Blood was _not_ an option for Nico; that meant Jason wouldn’t ever see him again, and no matter how selfish it sounded, he wouldn’t allow it to happen.

Sure, he was frustrated with the raven haired demigod for messing with his emotions—intentionally or not—anyone would be, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about Nico more than words could describe. And it kinda tugged at something in his chest to see him in such a helpless position, ultimately betrayed by his mind and body. Jason knew the feeling, knew that it _sucked_ and when you came to, you felt humiliated at losing yourself in the first place. And knowing Nico, he would probably try to escape to the Underworld in order to save face.

“What’s wrong with him?” Jason questioned, tearing his gaze from the boy’s small form, heart heavy with guilt. “I mean…I know it’s the Aphrodisiac, but…he wasn’t acting like this when I came back from Camp Jupiter, and if he was like this while I was gone, I’m sure I would have heard of it by now.”

Piper nibbled on her lower lip as she watched Nico give up freeing himself, his head hanging piteously as his obsidian colored locks shielded his face from sight. “I-I’m not really sure,” she murmured, her kaleidoscope eyes shifting from a hazel to an eerily bright green that didn’t make her look any less beautiful than she was. “I only know the basics about Aphrodisiacs, and even less about The Sacred Love Wine.”

“What’s _wrong_ with me?”

Jason’s head snapped around so quickly, it should have been painful. But at the sound of Nico’s soft voice, he was moving closer to his side. “It’s the Aphrodisiac again,” Jason explained softly.

“But it hasn’t been a problem until now.” Nico’s voice came out as breathy and husky, and as Jason moved even closer to him, his cheeks flushed an even darker color, a nearly pained groan falling past his lips. “I-It _hurts_.”

Jason’s brows furrowed at the boy’s declaration, obviously confused by his statement until his looked down as a flash of movement caught his attention. He felt his own cheeks darkening as he realized what Nico was talking about. The younger demigod’s thighs were clamped together, rubbing against one another to alleviate some of the pain originating _down there_. It took Jason less than a second to realize _why_ it was hurting so badly when he saw the painful looking tent in the teen’s pants, a desperate sound slipping from his lips in response to the pained whine that fell from Nico’s.

Piper frowned slightly, as she responded to Nico’s statement. “Yeah, that’s what’s bothering me— _Jason, don’t touch him_!” The daughter of Aphrodite’s charmspeak was strong, and Jason immediately pulled the hand that had been reaching out to hold the younger teen’s cheek.

Nico unconsciously whimpered at the loss of the near touch, and the haze that had settled over Jason’s blue orbs cleared at the sound, his brows furrowing as he watched the son of Hades squirm uncomfortably, more sweat beginning to bead on his brow. “What was that for?” Jason snapped, his eyes flashing with an anger that stemmed for _fear_ for the raven haired demigod’s wellbeing.

Piper’s chin lifted a notch at Jason’s tone, and she folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. “You’re not supposed to touch him. Touch, no matter how platonic, will set off the effects of the Aphrodisiac, and unless you want him acting like an animal in heat, I suggest you listen to my advice. You’re too close to him as it is, that’s why he’s acting so… _needy_ , for lack of a better word.

Jason made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat, his fists clenching stubbornly at his sides. “So what am I supposed to do? Sit here and watch him _suffer_?”

“That’s all you _can_ do until I figure out how to get this to stop,” Piper said resolutely, her eyes glinting dangerously, as if daring Jason to contradict her.

And he almost did too, but he thought better of it as he swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat, turning to look at the writhing half-blood once more. “ _Jason_ ,” Nico forced out through clenched teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead. “It _hurts_. _Make it stop_.”

The son of Jupiter jumped up from the bed, pacing around the room as a sense of helplessness threatened to overwhelm him. “What do we do?”

“I’ll figure something out, I promise. Just trust me, Jay.”

Jason forced out a long breath, his muscles loosening slightly at Piper’s words. “I know, and I’m sorry for being such an ass, it’s just…”

“I know,” Piper finished softly with a sad smile in his direction. “You don’t have to explain.”

Jason swallowed once again, averting his gaze quickly as his guilt surged once more. This wasn’t fair to Piper. Whatever it was he and Nico were doing, it wasn’t _fair_. And even though they broken up, he still felt bad, still felt as if he was betraying her when he even _associated_ with Nico, the one who ultimately split them apart.

Before Jason could speak again, Piper was standing and moving towards the bathroom, her hands fidgeting at her sides awkwardly. “I’m just…I’ll get him a wet towel to alleviate the heat.”

Jason nodded slowly, turning back to the son of Hades when he heard his name hissed out once again. “Jason, it’s _hot_.”

“I know, I know, Pipes is getting something for you, just hold on a moment.” Jason took a cursory glance around the cabin, his gaze falling on a half empty water bottle atop the boy’s armor. “You thirsty?”

Nico nodded frantically, and Jason moved from his spot, darting over to grab the water bottle. “How are we gonna do this?” he murmured when he was back at the boy’s side, his brows furrowed studiously. “Just…tip your head back.”

Nico did as he was told, his rosy lips falling open when Jason prodded them with the tip of the bottle. The blonde poured the water into his mouth, stopping when he was sure Nico would choke on the amount he was gulping down greedily. “Pour it…pour it on me,” Nico rasped, his eyes wide and pleading despite the glossy sheen over them.

Jason paused. “Pour it on you…?”

The boy nodded. “It’s t-too hot.”

The Roman worried his lower lip between his teeth before he acquiesced to the teen’s wishes, turning the bottle and steadily dumping its contents over his head. Nico made a soft sound of content as the water dripped down his face and eventually his chest, making his shirt cling to his small frame. “Jason—why is he wet?” Piper paused in the doorway of the bathroom, her head tipping to the side curiously.

Jason felt his face heated as he absently hid the water bottle behind his back. “He…uh, he got hot.”

That evoked a small smile from Piper that immediately fell as soon as Nico began whining his displeasure once more. “Still…hot.”

Piper moved over to his side, nudging Jason out of the way as she expertly placed the cool wash rag onto the boy’s forehead, careful not to touch him while she was doing so. Jason watched her tend to the son of Hades in silence for a while; her voice soft as she spoke soft reassurances to him, though the blonde was almost positive she wanted nothing to do with the raven haired demigod. “Pipes, I…” Jason kept his gaze fixed on the floor as he spoke; only daring to glance up once in a while. “I just wanted to let you know, when you came to my cabin the other day…Nico and I weren’t having sex; he was only teasing you, okay?”

Jason looked up nervously and caught Piper’s pensive gaze, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she looked away. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. We’re not dating anymore, so I don’t know why I got so upset in the first place,” a short, forced laugh rang through the air as she stared at the washcloth in her hands. “I am the one who decided to end things in the first place.”

“Because of me,” Jason shoved his hands into his pockets, “I’m sor—.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Piper said suddenly, fixing a bright smile on her lovely features. “It’s depressing.”

Jason merely nodded in agreement, his gaze sliding to Nico’s squirming form, water and sweat dripping down his forehead without avail. “So, what do we know so far; in regards to the Aphrodisiac?”

Piper let out a soft sigh, her nose scrunching up in concentration. “The Aphrodisiac works sporadically. It usually only kicks in when you’re around the _type_ of person you desire most, whether you know it or not. And if you desire no type of person specifically, you’re drawn to no one in particular, and you find most everyone appealing. The Aphrodisiac knows limits; it’s basically tailored to your sexual preferences. For example, if you’re rather fond of redheads, the Aphrodisiac won’t kick in full force until you’ve found the person most suited to your preferences. Because Nico is reacting so strongly towards you, it means you’re the closest thing to his preferences the Aphrodisiac could find. I’m guessing there’s something on or about you—be it your blue eyes, or blonde hair, whatever—he’s attracted to.”

Jason brows furrowed at Piper’s words as he watched Nico squirm beside him, his breaths laborious and strained. That couldn’t be right. Nico was most attracted to _Percy_. Sure, Jason was sure Nico was attracted to him on some level, but it couldn’t have been a level higher than Percy’s. That was just absurd. “But—.”

“As always, you’re only _partially_ correct, McLean,” Drew cut in, sneering rather elegantly despite her nasty attitude as she slid through the door of the cabin, sucking in a sharp breath as she caught sight of Nico bound to the headboard. “Nico, baby!”

“Drew, stop!” Piper exclaimed as her sibling darted across the room, the cabin door slamming shut as she leapt onto the bed and directly beside the son of Hades.

“Oh, calm down,” Drew snorted, picking up the washcloth Piper had dropped and swiping it across Nico’s forehead with a frown.

“What…what are you _doing_ here?” Jason stammered his brows furrowed with confusion.

“You thought I would just sit aside while Nico looked about ready to explode,” Drew scoffed. “He’s had The Sacred Love Wine, hasn’t he?”

Piper’s lips parted in shock. “How…how’d _you_ know that?”

Drew’s eyes rolled as she dabbed beneath the younger teen’s eyes at the sweat that gathered there, making him blink rapidly. “I _was_ the counselor of the Aphrodite cabin before you came along. And besides, I make it my… _job_ to study and recognize signs of most Aphrodisiacs.”

“Your job…” Piper’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You’ve used them before, haven’t you?”

The corners of Drew’s lips lifted in a coy smile. “So what if I have?”

“ _Drew_!”

“Gods, you’re such a prude,” Drew waved her hand dismissively and patted Nico’s cheek fondly when he began to squirm uncomfortably once again.

“Why…how come _she_ can touch him?” Jason’s brows furrowed as he watched Nico continue to writhe on the bed, barely reacting to her touch.

“Because I’m not the one he truly desires,” she answered simply, making Jason’s brows rise in confusion.

“Huh?”

“For the love of Aphrodite,” Drew groaned, sitting up properly on the bed and twirling a strand of her silky hair around her forefinger. “Didn’t you tell him _anything_ , McLean?”

Piper scowled at that, her arms folding across her chest defensively. “I told him all I knew.”

“Figures; you don’t know very much to begin with.”

Piper opened her mouth to retort, but Drew was already speaking, her words directed towards Jason this time. “Yes, the Sacred Love Wine is tailored to suit your preferences, but the user won’t react as strongly as Nico is unless they’re with the person they desire most, whether they know it or not. He won’t react to anyone touching him, or even being near him unless it’s that certain person.” Drew’s brows arched wickedly as she watched the younger half-blood unconsciously lean in Jason’s direction. “And if his reactions are anything to go by, you just so happen to be that person, Mr. Grace.”

Jason’s jaw slackened at that, and he barely registered Piper’s sharp intake of breath as she stood, nearly storming towards the door and out of the cabin. “I-I…that’s not right—.”

“Oh, but it is darling,” Drew cooed, reaching for the bonds that constricted Nico’s wrists.

“D-Drew, don’t!”

She paused, turning to look at Jason expectantly. “What? I thought you wanted to help him?”

“I do…but,” Jason shook his head, attempting to clear his shell shocked mind.

 _He_ was the one Nico desired most? No, that couldn’t be right. He was almost the _complete_ opposite to Percy, down to looks as well as personality. And as much as he hated to remind himself, Nico was in love with the son of Poseidon, not him. They were merely attracted to one another, be it on an emotional level or physical level, he wasn’t sure. It was as Piper said…Nico was just attracted to something he had physically. But then again, what did he and Percy have in common in _that_ department?

 _Not very much_ , he answered himself dryly.

He was snapped from his thoughts as Nico gave an especially pained whimper, his eyes squeezed shut and his sinfully long lashes fanning out over his sweaty skin. “H-Hurts.”

Jason felt his fists clenching at his sides at every pained sound that slipped from the boy’s lips, his helplessness surging as he watched the younger demigod writhe on the bed desperately with his shirt clinging to his alabaster skin.

He didn’t want to watch Nico go through this, and gods know how long the effects would last; Piper had mentioned the symptoms too _much_ longer to wear off on demigods than mortals or immortals. Why did everything have to be so _hard_ for half-bloods? Couldn’t they just have a break every once in a while? Whether it’s running from monsters, or running errands the gods were too lazy to do for themselves, they were always putting their lives on the lines. For Jupiter’s sake, demigod’s life spans were _much_ longer than mortals, but what did that matter if they were only estimated to live their mid-twenties because of the constant danger they were in?

And if Nico was kicked out of Camp Half-Blood for this, his life would certainly be on the line. Half-bloods who were kicked out of the camp were never known to come back, or to be seen again. Meaning, they had more than likely been killed by monsters. And sure, Nico was lucky enough to have a godly parent that would tolerate his presence in their domain, but for how long? Jason really didn’t want to find out.

“What do I have to do?” he asked resolutely, meeting Drew’s eyes confidently. He would do _anything_ to make sure Nico would be alright.

The smirk that tipped the corners of Drew’s glossed lips sent an ominous shudder through the son of Jupiter, though he merely lifted his chin a notch despite the suspicious narrowing of his eyes when the girl’s brown orbs twinkled with triumph.

“It’s simple really,” she drawled, making a show of examining her sparkly, pink nails before she looked up at the blonde through her mascara caked lashes. “All you have to do is fuck him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love writing Drew, it's so much fun.  
> *grins*  
> New chapter soon, until then, luff you poeples and your squishy bums.  
> Kay, I'm done. (/)-^)


	17. Hands Move, Moving Steady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Everything felt good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY KWANZAA FOR THOSE THE TWO APPLY TO.  
> Alright.  
> Wellllllll, this chapter is a tad longer than usual. And it was a tad bit difficult to get out because of this super shitty thing called writer's block. BUT THEN, I had like, diarrhea of the fingers because of this amazing creation called coffee, and I stayed up until five in the morning writing this chapter, and I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the outcome.  
> Thanks to all of you who left comments and kudos, and thank you for simply reading this story.  
> Thank you to my wonderful beta for helping me get my shiz together.  
> OKAY. I'M REALLY LOVIN' CAPS LOCKS TODAY.  
> Anyway.  
> Praise for the story is loved (*cough* I accept them in the form of kudos and comments. *cough*), suggestions are appreciated (*cough* I accept them in the form of emails and comments *cough*), criticism is welcomed (*cough* I just have a little something in my throat *cough*).  
> E N J O Y. [ ;

** Jason’s POV **

Jason blinked once, his dry lips parting in shock. After a few moments of his mouth opening and shutting soundlessly, he swallowed around the lump that had lodged itself in his throat, giving a quick swipe of his tongue over his lips, and finally finding the words. Though they were _not_ enough to express his shock of the words the daughter of Aphrodite had spoken so casually. “E-Excuse me?”

Drew’s head tipped to the side slightly, her dark brown locks spilling over her shoulder with the movement. “What, you need me to repeat myself?”

“N-No, I mean… _yes_ …?”

Drew clasped her hands together, looking very similar to mortal doctor ready to explain the terms of a diagnostic; or even simpler, a kindergarten teacher explaining to a child the rules of naptime. “You have to have sex with Nico,” she drawled out slowly, her brown orbs twinkling with amusement and glee as she spoke.

Oh gods, it sounded even _more_ shocking the second time around. “B-But, _how_ …?”

“It’s not that hard, Jason,” Drew cast a look at the son of Hades, then back at him with a devious smirk. “All you have to do is put your dick in his—.”

Jason waved his hands frantically, his eyes wide with panic as the daughter of Aphrodite’s brows rose curiously. “Don’t…don’t _say that_.”

“Gods, you’re just as much of a prude as your _ex_ ,” Drew rolled her eyes.

“I’m not a prude,” the Roman grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest uncomfortably.

Drew watched him skeptically, a mocking smile spreading across her glossy lips. “Then what are you, a _virgin_?”

Jason remained silent as Drew tipped her head back, an oblivious laugh spilling out of her lips. The female demigod’s laughter trailed off as Jason merely averted his gaze, his cheeks gradually darkening until they were a soft pink color. “Oh my gods,” she muttered, her eyes so wide, any other time Jason would have found it hilarious. “You’re…you’re a _virgin_?”

Jason studiously kept his silence, studying the lines on the hardwood floor as if they held the secrets to the universe. Or to the rather troubling situation he was in. He startled from his diligent reverie at the squeal of delight Drew gave. “Oh, this couldn’t be more _perfect_!”

She grinned at the blonde, her mascara-caked lashes batting giddily and making her hot pink eyeliner—similar to the one that caught the blonde’s attention when they first met--visible. “What are you talking about?” he muttered, his gaze flicking back down to the ground at the sly smile Drew gave him.

“There’s no better person for you to lose your virginity to than Nico, and now you two finally have an excuse to fuck. I mean, you guys’ sexual tension is so palpable, it even disturbs _me_. And I’m all for a little sexual tension, I mean, when you finally let it out, you have crazy monkey sex, and I’m _totally_ a fan of that, but—.”

“I’m not having sex with him,” Jason cut in resolutely, his arms tightening around himself when he heard the surprised sound the daughter of Aphrodite made.

This time, _Drew_ blinked once, her eyes narrowing with confusion. “Excuse me?”

“I’m. Not. Having. Sex. With. Him,” Jason bit out carefully, finally looking up and fixing Drew with an unyielding stare.

In return, the daughter of Aphrodite made a sound akin to a growl in the back of her throat. “So you’ll just leave him like _this_?” she motioned to the whimpering demigod, weakly struggling with the bonds around his wrists though if he were in his right mind, he would know they wouldn’t give way anytime soon seeing as they were enchanted with magic, specialty of the Hecate cabin.

“No, but there has to be another way!” Jason protested stubbornly.

“There isn’t!” Drew snapped, her brown orbs flashing dangerously. “Don’t you think I would have _told_ you if there was?”

“ _No_ , seeing as you’re rather obsessed with the idea of Nico and I being together,” the former praetor let out an irritated expulsion of air. _“_ Beside, why do _I_ have to give up something so significant to me?”

Drew scoffed scathingly, her perfectly groomed brows arching judgmentally. “It’s your _virginity_ , Jason, it’s not that special—.”

“It’s special to _me_ , okay?” the Roman growled, loosening his arms from around his chest in favor of motioning towards Nico with an insistent hand. “For the love of Jupiter, he won’t even _remember_ having sex with me; do you really think I want my first time to be like that? Where he only wants me because of some stupid wine?”

“Be real, Jason, your first time _probably_ won’t be after a candlelit dinner, _making love_ in a bed showered with rose petals, with declarations of love—.”

“I never said that it was, but can’t I at least have my first time be with someone I _care_ about?”

“And you don’t care about Nico?”

“I do, but—.”

“Then why can’t you give him this _one_ thing?” Drew threw her hands up exasperatedly. “Gods, you’re so _selfish_ —.”

“I am _not selfish_ ,” Jason snarled, his fists clenching by his sides. “I do _everything_ for everyone else, and get nothing in return. Why can’t I have one fucking thing to myself, something I don’t have to give up for the ‘greater good’?”

“He’s in love with someone else, for gods’ sake, how do you think I’ll feel knowing that my first time meant _nothing_?” Jason continued, averting his gaze when Drew’s eyes gradually began to soften.

“It _will_ mean something, to the both of you, you know that,” the female demigod murmured, standing up from her spot on the bed to stand in front of the blonde.

Jason remained silent as Drew cautiously placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes screaming sincerity as she spoke. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just…I _know_ you care for Nico as more than a friend, and vice versa, I mean, why else would he be so jealous of you and Emilian kissing if he didn’t?”

Despite his frustration, Jason groaned, bringing a hand up to cover his eyes. “He _told_ you about that?”

Drew gave a soft laugh in response, pulling the former praetor’s hand from his eyes, a small smile on her glossed lips. “Yeah, he did. It was really bothering him. And why wouldn’t it if he didn’t feel something for you as well?”

Jason let out a short huff of air through his nose, glancing at the son of Hades who was watching them with hazed orbs, his dark brows furrowed irritably. Jason frowned in response to the look on the teen’s face. “Neeks, what’s wrong?”

The son of Hades merely frowned, mirroring Jason’s expression as he looked towards Drew sternly. “Don’t…don’t touch…him.”

Jason’s eyes widened slightly as Drew stepped away, her hands raised in surrender as a small triumphant smile took up residence on her lips. “Ah, you okay over there, Nico?” the blonde muttered, moving towards the bed slowly.

The younger teen shook his head. “It’s…hot.”

Jason moved to wipe the sweat from the demigod’s brow, but paused at the last second, his fingers hovering over the boy’s damp forehead. If what Drew had said was right—that he _was_ the one Nico desired most, though he seriously doubted that—he didn’t want to risk setting the half-blood off as his touch was said to do.

“What are you going to do?” Drew asked gently, watching the two carefully.

“What _can_ I do?” Jason responded tiredly, reluctantly losing his resolve.

He needed to help Nico, he knew that much. But he didn’t want to give up something so important to him while doing so. And besides that, he _knew_ Nico was in love with Percy, and just because the son of Hades _desired_ him, didn’t mean that he loved him; desire and love just weren’t the same things. And honestly, it was quite selfish that his heart ached at the thought even though _he_ wasn’t in love with the son of Hades. Or…was he?

His head tilted to the side absently at the thought. He didn’t _know_ what love was, so he couldn’t really say for sure if he was in love with him or not. But then again, he and Nico were merely supposed to be friends, and friends didn’t do what they had done, nor what he was probably going to do.

Drew let out a soft sigh, and Jason turned, his gaze curious as she fiddled with a strand of her hair absently. “I…I _guess_ , you don’t have to go all the way with him, though that would honestly be the most ideal option.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because, the effects of the Aphrodisiac with wear off _completely_ if you two do sleep together. But since you’re obviously against that idea, I guess you two are going to have to fool around or something of the sort.”

Jason let out an irritated groan, his eyes falling shut for a moment as an embarrassed flush darkened his features. “Why, oh _why_ does it have to be something sexual?”

“Aphrodite’s the goddess of love, beauty, and basically all things sex, duh. Why would her sacred drink be any different?”

Jason ran a hand through his golden locks, attempting to smooth his frayed nerves. “So what happens if I do…um, do _stuff_ with him?”

The corners of Drew’s lips tipped up in a teasing smile at his words. “Then you’ll have to do _stuff_ with him for at least two days for the effects to wear off, and even then there’s no guarantee it’ll actually go away completely. But, he’ll be back to his normal self after each time you two fool around and stuff.”

Jason nibbled on his lower lip pensively, glancing at the daughter of Aphrodite when she spoke again. “And Jason? Nico’s _going_ to remember this, just know that. The Aphrodisiac is only a catalyst for sexual deed; it makes the users bolder so that they can pursue their desires without hindrance.”

“What…what does that mean?”

“That behind the Aphrodisiac it’s basically _Nico_ who wants to do all of this stuff — _whatever_ he wants to do—with you.”

Jason sucked in a sharp breath at that. So…it was _Nico’s_ desires fueling the Aphrodisiac? Yeah, that would make it easier to agree to do _stuff_ with the younger demigod, because ultimately, he wanted it, but still…it would make Jason feel like he was taking advantage of him. “I don’t…”

“You don’t…?”

“I don’t think this is a good idea. There has to be another course of action we can take. I _know_ Nico, and I know he won’t comfortable with this. If he actually does… _want_ me—which I seriously doubt he does—why can’t we just find another way in order for him to actually act on his feelings and desires himself? It’s not right to force him knowing he’ll be completely mortified afterwards, and… _oh gods_ , I can’t believe I’m actually considering this, it’s so fucked up!”

“I’m…sitting r-right here you know,” Nico muttered, drawing attention to his small form.

Jason let out a deep breath, his head tilting to the side at the look of rejection on the younger demigod’s face. “You…you know why I don’t want to do this, right?”

Nico nodded, averting his gaze quickly when Jason moved to his side. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m fond of the way you make sleeping with me—or doing anything of the sort—sound like a disease.”

“I didn’t mean to—.”

“I get that you’d much rather do this shit with _Emilian_ —.”

“I barely even _know_ him, Nico,” Jason cut in tiredly. “Why do you keep assuming that I like him?”

The son of Hades shrugged weakly, shifting on the bed uncomfortably. “Because…I don’t know okay?”

Jason shook his head, “You’re _barely_ in your right mind, you don’t know what you want; you’re saying and doing whatever the Aphrodisiac wants you to do.”

“I do know what I want,” Nico growled out dangerously. “I want _you_ gods dammit!”

Jason’s jaw slackened as Nico’s eyes simultaneously widened, his bound hand jerking to cover his mouth until the younger teen remembered his current position. Drew let out a snort of amusement. “Hm, well now you’ve heard it from the main source himself, Jason.”

“I…I can’t believe I just _said_ that,” Nico whispered to himself quietly, his rosy lips parted in shock.

Jason turned away, absently chewing on the inside of his cheek as his nerves of the situation grew. Was he really going to do this? It wasn’t like he could just throw his hands up and walk away; Nico needed him, was _depending_ on him. And he had never been one to let others down. Besides, it wasn’t like they were going all the way, they would just… _fool around_ , as Drew so eloquently stated. And despite his reluctance on the situation, in the back of his mind, a part of him _wanted_ to do this, and not just with anyone, but with Nico. “Okay. I’ll…I’ll do it.”

Drew squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together delightfully. “Yes!”

Jason shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he moistened his dry lips with his tongue. “What do I have to do?”

“First and foremost, release him from his bonds, and from there, all you have to do is touch him. It doesn’t matter _how_ you touch him, just do it. Oh, and I’m warning you now, he’s _not_ going to be himself after you touch him. He’ll probably be more open to the topic he normally is reluctant to discuss. As I said before, the Aphrodisiac makes him bolder in order to pursue his desires, which means he’s going to be an absolute _sex panther_ ,” Drew sighed dreamily. “Gods, I need to get me some of the Sacred Love Wine so someone can fuck me all animalistic like—.”

“Drew!”

“I was only teasing…kinda,” Drew jutted out her hip, tapping her lower lip with a sparkly tipped finger as her eyes lit up wickedly. “Ohhh, can I watch?”

Jason’s jaw dropped open and his eyes widened comically. “No! Just…get out, Drew. And _don’t_ tell anyone about this.”

“Not even Emilian?” she asked, her eyes shining with a malicious gleam that had Jason shuddering before he knew what he was doing.

“No, not even him. Do I need to make you swear on the River Styx?”

“No, _gods_ , what is it with you and Nico and the River Styx; have at least _a little_ faith in me,” Drew huffed, tossing her silky locks over her shoulder.

“Then I can trust you not to tell anyone?”

“For Hephaestus’s sake, _yes_.”

“Fine, you can go now.”

The daughter of Aphrodite pouted, her dark brows crinkling petulantly as she moved towards the door. “Whatever, but I want _all_ the details, okay?”

Jason didn’t answer as the door closed behind her, leaving him alone with the son of Hades. The blonde took a deep breath, attempting to calm his racing heart as he looked towards Nico, who was watching him silently, a blush still staining his alabaster cheeks. “What in Tartarus did I just _agree_ to?” Jason muttered to himself as he moved towards the younger demigod, leaning over him to release the bonds that restrained him.

“I’m going to let you go, okay Neeks? But you have to stay right where you are until I touch you, deal?”

The raven haired demigod nodded hesitantly, though he seemed to perk at the word “touch” despite his obvious embarrassment over his earlier words. Jason sucked in a deep breath, letting it out through his nose as he slowly loosened the bond on the wrist farthest from him. Much to his surprise, Nico let it fall to his lap without moving a muscle, only following Jason’s actions almost obsessively, though _shyly_ as well. Reassured, Jason removed the remaining bond, stepping back when the boy’s arms fell to his sides limply. “Okay,” he muttered nervously, his eyes flicking towards the door Drew had locked before she stepped out. “I’m going to touch you…”

Nico’s head tipped to the side as Jason bounced up and down on his toes, puffing out his cheeks and shaking his arms wildly. “You’ve got this, Grace. It’s not sex, it’s just… _stuff_.”

He looked up bashfully when he heard a breathy laugh, his cheeks tinted slightly at the amused smile on the younger demigod’s lips. “You’re…so silly,” Nico held out his hand confidently, the action battling with the flush on his features as well as the innocent twinkle in his dark orbs. “Just touch me.”

Jason swallowed with some difficulty, staring at the boy’s considerably small hand, his eyes tracing the lines of his palm uncertainly. _It’s now or never_. Or now or later.

And the latter sounded very, _very_ appealing. But if he didn’t do this now, things were sure to get worse, he was almost positive of the fact. What if he waited too long and Nico ended up escaping and sleeping—or doing things of the sort—with someone else. What if he ended up doing it with _Percy_? Nico’s head tipped to the side in an almost coy fashion, his fingers wiggling expectantly. “Any day now, Jace.”

Yeah, Nico sleeping with Percy would _not_ be happening anytime soon.

The blonde gave a mental nod of agreement he reached out, his hand noticeably trembling with nerves. He let out heavy gust of air when his fingertips hovered over the boy’s upturned palm, and he swore he could feel the unnatural cool temperature of the boy’s skin that came with being a child of Hades. “Hell,” he grumbled, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind of his apprehension as he squeezed his eyes shut, spanning the gap between their skin and pressing his fingertips to the teen’s cool palm.

Nervously, he cracked open a single eye in time to see an ethereal pulse of red light radiate around the boy, casting a soft glow on his alabaster skin before disappearing into his being as fast as it came. As the light retreated, a slow, sultry smile stretched across Nico’s rosy lips as he closed his hand around Jason’s, with a sound similar to a purr. “Finally.”

Jason gave a rather embarrassing yelp as he was yanked to the bed, both eyes opening on instinct as he felt the younger teen move, darting out of the way when the blonde hit the mattress with a dull thud. The Roman only had time to blink once at the ceiling before Nico maneuvered himself until he was on top of his form, his dark orbs twinkling with mischief. Jason felt his heart thudding in his chest and he swallowed with some difficulty as Nico let out a low, breathy sigh. “Finally,” the younger half-blood purred leaning down and butting his nose with the blonde’s. “How long does a guy have to play victim to get what he wants around here?”

Jason merely stared up at the younger teen with wide, blue eyes, unable to form words even if he tried. Nico watched him silently for a moment before he laughed softly, pressing a kiss to the tip of the Roman’s nose and causing him to blink in response to the rather unexpected action. “You’re so cute. Stop looking at me like that; I don’t bite, I swear,” the raven haired demigod paused for a moment before his lids lowered to half mast, a devious smile playing on his lips. “Unless you want me to, then all you have to do is ask nicely.”

Oh…oh _gods_. What did he sign himself up for? He had never been in a situation like this before; excluding the first time Nico had consumed the Aphrodisiac. What was he supposed to do? _What did you do last time?_

Last time…?

The blonde’s blue orbs seemed to light up as he remembered. Last time, he had given Nico enough of a shock to knock him unconscious…maybe that would work this time around as well…? Just as he took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus despite the situation he was in, Nico made an affronted sound in the back of his throat, his eyes widening slightly as he leapt off of the former praetor’s body. Jason sat up on the bed, obviously puzzled as the younger demigod waggled his forefinger, his dark brows furrowed. “I know what you’re thinking; don’t you dare Jason Grace.”

The blonde’s jaw slackened as Nico crossed his arms over his chest, his lower lip poking out. “How…how’d you know?”

“You got that stupid look of resolution in your eyes,” the younger half-blood grumbled, his eyes rolling irritably. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two-and-two together.”

“Well can you blame me for wanting to do it?” Jason sighed out, throwing up his hands exasperatedly.

“Yes! I had headaches for a _week_ after you _shocked_ me, dipshit!”

“Why don’t you _tell_ me these things, Neeks?” the Roman frowned as the younger demigod scowled from the other side of the bed.

“Gods, you’re so fucking confusing,” Nico muttered, drumming his fingers along his bicep and studiously ignoring the older teen’s question.

Jason’s brows rose at the teen’s words. “ _I’m_ confusing…?” he let out a bark of a laugh, “Wow, that’s just _rich_ coming from you.”

Nico’s brows arched dangerously in return. “Oh? How do you figure?”

“You’re so freaking wishy-washy—!”

“Oh you’re one to talk,” Nico scoffed, scooting closer to put his finger in the blonde’s face. “One moment, you want nothing to do with me, and then in another you want me as much as I want you!”

“You want me?” Jason snorted, “That’s a load of _shit_. You just want someone to coddle you after _Percy_ hurts your feelings.”

“You’re such a stupid prick,” Nico snarled, “Why is it so hard to accept that maybe, just _maybe_ , I actually like you?!”

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Jason smacked Nico’s hand out of his face bitterly. “ _Maybe_ you like me, what the fuck does that even _mean_?”

“Do you really need me to define maybe for you, you stupid piece of—?”

“You’re so predictable, Nico, are you really going to start name calling? Don’t you think you’re a little too old for that?” Jason sneered.

“Gods you’re so patronizing. I’m over it.”

“No, _I’m_ over it.”

“Well I was over it _first_ ,” Nico snapped, shoving the blonde’s shoulder in his frustration.

In return, Jason made a sound akin to a growl, shoving the younger demigod and making him totter precariously from his spot on the bed. Apparently, that was all the son of Hades could take. He pounced on the blonde, knocking him back down onto the bed with a soft grunt. “Get off,” Jason muttered, glaring up at the younger demigod.

“No, not until you listen to me—.”

Jason surged forward, knocking the younger demigod onto his back and pinning his wrists above his head with an irritated sound when he attempted to claw his face. Both teen’s paused, Jason’s mouth shutting abruptly, cutting off his own words as he realized the position they were in. The blonde felt heat begin to engulf his face, gradually spreading down to his chest as Nico merely smiled uncharacteristically, his tongue darting out to run over his full lips slowly, and much to his mortification, Jason found that _he_ was watching the action almost obsessively. “This…this is kinda hot,” Nico murmured, intertwining his fingers with Jason’s as the blonde began to pull away.

“You’re crazy,” Jason muttered without bite, averting his gaze shamefully. “I…sorry for snapping at you, I seem to be doing that a lot lately, huh?”

“Don’t apologize.” Nico released one of the Roman’s hands in favor of cupping the back of his neck, his fingers sliding into the older demigod’s golden locks. “I’m an ass, plus…it kinda ruins the tense moment we were supposed to alleviate with a steamy make out.”

Jason couldn’t help the laugh that spilled over his lips, and he was glad he didn’t when Nico smiled almost shyly despite the purely animalistic gleam in his eyes. “I…I know you don’t want to do this,” Nico starting softly, looking up at Jason from beneath his sinfully long lashes. “But will you just do it…for me?”

Jason gave a small, absent nod as Nico began tugging him down gently his lashes fluttering briefly before his eyes closed and the Roman mirrored the action as they spanned the minimal distance between their lips, their forms easily molding together.

Nico smiled against the blonde’s lips as he squeezed the younger teen’s hand gently, his trepidation of his predicament still thrumming in the back of his mind, but not enough to make him stop, no, especially not when the raven haired demigod was making those cute sounds of bliss, trailing his finger along the back of his neck; an area he knew from experience could make the younger half-blood melt and his arms.

And yeah, he got an insurmountable rush of male pride when Nico arched into his touch almost unconsciously, and though he knew some amount of the boy’s sensitivity was from the effects of the Aphrodisiac, he also knew a part of it was _him_ as well.

As their lips slotted together slowly, Nico’s hand tightening in his hair, pulling him closer as he carefully parted his legs, wrapping them around Jason’s torso and pulling their lower halves together a soft pant escaping his moist lips when the Roman pulled away, only to press their foreheads together gently, his eyes falling shut as he attempted to get his breathing under control. “Before this gets too far, you need to know that we’re not—,” Jason started breathlessly, a small smile taking up residence on his lips as Nico nuzzled his nose into his neck, inhaling deeply and distracting the older demigod from his initial words. “Are you sniffing me?”

“Yes,” Nico responded without missing a beat, and Jason felt him smile against his neck. “You smell so fucking good.”

“I thought you said I smelled weird?” Jason teased, sliding his hand up from the boy’s neck and into his midnight colored locks, his fingers tangling in the soft strands fondly.

“I lied, you’re the best smelling person I’ve ever had the pleasure of scenting.

Jason pulled away slightly, a teasing smile playing on his lips and lighting up his sky blue orbs. “You do realize how strange that sounds, right?”

Nico had the good graces to smile bashfully, his lids lowering demurely. “Yeah, I do.”

The blonde gave a slight shake of his head as he suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be informing the younger teen of. “As I was saying before, we’re not having sex.”

The raven haired demigod gave a soft sigh of reluctant acceptance, though a pout marred his rosy lips. “Yeah, yeah, I know. We’ll just…”

Jason’s head tipped to a side as the younger half-blood trailed off, a slow calculating smile stretching across his lips. “What?”

“Nothing. You’ll find out when we get there.”

And with that, Nico pulled Jason back down and slotted their lips together. And Jason, never one to disappoint, went willingly.

** Nico’s POV **

Everything felt good. Everything _tasted_ good. And he knew that “everything” had a name.

It was Jason Grace; Savior of Camp Jupiter, hero of the Giant War, and secretly known as Superman on Steroids.

Nico made a soft sound in the back of his throat as Jason nipped his lower lip softly, prodding him to part his lips. And of course he did. How could he deny Jason anything? He wouldn’t be able to if he tried. Oh gods he was glad he didn’t try.

For a moment, Nico was simply overwhelmed by the sheer _taste_ of the son of Jupiter on his tongue. It was nothing he could explain in intricate words if he tried; it was simply _Jason_ , and he loved it, loved he was one of the few people to experience this, and the _only_ person who would go as far they would go with the blonde.

Nico shuddered as Jason’s tongue trailed over his lower lip before delving into his mouth, his hand tightening in the younger’s dark locks. Nico chased Jason’s tongue with his own, a soft sigh—whether it be from him, or from the son of Jupiter, he wasn’t sure—getting lost within their kiss.

He was almost positive—no he was _completely_ positive—he had never wanted someone as much as he wanted Jason in that moment. He never wanted this moment to end, never wanted the feelings and sensations the blonde’s touch evoked to disappear, and _oh gods_ the thought of anyone else touching him like this seemed absolutely _absurd_. No one else made his skin tingle just from being near him, didn’t make his face flame just from one simple smile, no one else—just _shocked him_?

Nico’s head tilted to the side at the flush that darkened the former praetor handsome features when they broke the kiss, and the younger demigod shuddered as the aftershocks of the sudden jolt of electricity rolled over his skin. “Sorry,” Jason muttered, averting his gaze, “it happens when I get…worked up.”

The raven haired half-blood smiled teasingly, running his fingers through the Roman’s golden locks. “Who am I to judge? Dead people come out of the ground when I’m worked up.”

Jason let a snort of laughter, and any other time, Nico would never admit that his heart gave a little flutter at the rich sound, that he couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of his lips at the sound. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Jason inquired, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Nico smiled, tapping the blonde’s nose lightly. “Well duh.”

The Roman paused, and Nico’s brows furrowed curiously at the pensive silence that had fallen around them. “What?”

“I…I like it when you smile. It makes you look younger; same as when you sleep.”

Nico let out a soft, exasperated groan at that, burying his face in Jason’s neck as he felt heat engulf his face. “How am I supposed to call that creepy when you said it like that?” the younger demigod lifted his head, a pout twisting his lips. “And it makes that ‘no sex rule’ _so_ much harder to upkeep.”

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but before he could even utter a single syllable, Nico was trailing kisses down his neck, only pausing to mouth his quickening pulse. “Are you _sure_ we can’t go all the way?” he purred, his tongue darting out to taste the tantalizing skin beneath his lips.

“Yes…I’m positive.”

Nico made a discontent sound at that, and pressed one last kiss to the blonde’s pulse before he leaned up, pressing their lips together momentarily before he pulled away with a pout. “It’s not fair,” he whined, pushing the older teen off of his smaller form in favor of throwing a leg over his waist and straddling him.

Jason sat up, a small smile playing on his lips. “Life isn’t fair, Neeks, you should be used to it. You are a demigod after all.”

Nico averted his gaze sulkily, crossing his arms over his chest as his lips twisted down in a childish frown. Jason chuckled softly, and Nico felt his cheeks heating against his will—and most likely the will of the Aphrodisiac as well—as the blonde leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Gods, how can I be mad at when you’re being so fucking cute?” Nico muttered, his head shaking once before he wrapped his arms around the older demigod’s neck, a teasing smile lifting at the corners of his lips.

“You can’t be,” Jason retorted in such an out-of-character arrogant manner, Nico nearly laughed.

“You’re an idiot,” he murmured before pressing a soft kiss against Jason’s lips.

He had only meant for it to be one, sweet and simple kiss. But when Jason’s hands slid down to his waist, hands grasping his torso, that idea completely flew out of the window, and Nico found himself deepening the kiss, the hand cupping the back of the older teen’s neck, tightening slightly in favor of pulling him closer, not giving him the chance to break the kiss if he wanted to.

And much to Nico’s delight, it didn’t seem as if he wanted to.

Their lips moved together slowly, tongues lazily chasing one another back and forth as Nico carefully wrapped his legs around Jason’s torso, his ankles crossed over one another, and his heels inches above the mattress as the blonde sat up further.

Nico felt his mind begin to haze with a familiar feeling he normally identified with being drunk; so, he was guessing he was drunk off of Jason Grace. And he would take on that Jason induced hangover any day. Carefully, so as not to startle the older demigod, Nico slid his hands into the neck of Jason’s shirt, his fingers splaying out on the warm skin reverently. Jason’s hand tightening on Nico’s waist, and their kiss heightened in fervor. The blonde’s soft groan was lost in the kiss as Nico gave his hips a cursory roll, his backside pressed into Jason’s front and pressing their lower regions more firmly together as he continued with his movements. Nico broke the kiss carefully, his hips still rolling against Jason’s wickedly. He pressed a trail of open mouth kisses down the Roman’s jaw line, then down his neck, stopping only when the older demigod’s t-shirt derailed him from his task.

Nico slid his hands out of Jason’s shirt in favor of trailing them down and taking hold of the hem of his shirt, a soft kiss pressed to the blonde’s neck before he spoke. “I’m gonna take your shirt off, okay?”

Jason gave a quick nod of approval, and Nico pulled away slightly, drawing the article of clothing up, and off of the Roman’s form with his help. After he tossed aside the t-shirt, he locked gaze with Jason, who looked back at him apprehensively. Nico’s smiled reassuringly, sliding his arms back around the older demigod’s neck, this time, his hands meeting no resistance as he traced absent patterns again his back. “I’m not going to force you, or try and convince you to do anything you absolutely don’t want to do, okay?” his legs tightened around Jason’s form as he attempted to convey his honesty with his eyes.

Slowly, a small smile with a hint of nervousness appeared on Jason’s lips, and he nodded. “I trust you.”

Nico paused for a moment, a surprise sound spilling over his lips. The last time he and Jason had had a conversation about trust; it ended with the former praetor stating that he no longer trusted him. “I…” he cleared his throat when his voice came out as a soft rasp.

“You…?”

He shook his head, unable to find words to express his appreciation, so he leaned forward, pressing his lips to Jason and conveying his appreciations through actions. Before either demigod knew what was happening, they had stripped one another down to their underwear between passionate kisses.

“What…what are we going to do?” Jason asked apprehensively when they broke their heated kiss breathlessly.

“I’m going to jerk you off,” Nico responded bluntly, a smirk twisting his lips.

Jason snorted uneasily, “Well said.”

“Relax, Jace,” Nico murmured before leaning in a pressing a kiss to Jason’s lips, letting their lips slot together innocently before he pulled away slightly.

“Nervous?” he whispered against the blonde’s lips, their gazes locking as he felt Jason’s heart thudding rapidly against his chest as the members of the duo both realized the position they were in.

Jason nodded once, his light blue eyes so open and honest, Nico wanted to hold him close and never let him go. “Don’t be,” the younger demigod pressed a soft, chaste kiss against the Roman’s trembling lips. “It’s just me.”

“I know,” he muttered in response, letting out a long exhalation of air before he gave the raven haired half-blood a small smile.

“Oh my gods,” Jason muttered, falling back onto the bed and throwing his arm over his eyes as Nico slid down the bed, then lowered his boxers with a wicked grin on his lips. “I can’t believe this actually happening right now.”

“I know, it’s like a dream come true, huh?”

“You’re crazy…completely insane,” Jason grumbled, and Nico could see his skin darkening to a hot pink color.

Nico didn’t respond, his gaze completely fixed on the small portion of Jason’s member peeking out from the top of his boxer, and the younger demigod barely stopped himself from yanking down the older teen’s underwear. _Slow and sensual_ , he reminded himself as the head of the elder’s cock was revealed, and he ignored Jason’s embarrassed groan, his tongue absently darting out and swiping across his lips.

After taking a few deep breaths himself, he pulled the boxers the remaining way down, and he felt his jaw slacken at the sight that awaited him. “Damn, you’re _packing_.”

Jason made a dignified sound at the boy’s words, nearly removing his arm from his eyes before he remembered the position he was in. “Don’t say things like that!”

Nico flashed him a devious smile, “I’m only calling it as I see it. And here I thought _I_ was the Italian in this coupling.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know,” the younger demigod drawled, “the stereotype about how Italians have big dicks—.”

“Okay, okay, _stop_! Gods, are you _trying_ to make me die from embarrassment?!”

The younger demigod laughed as he tossed aside the light colored garment, his attention back on the Roman’s erect length. “Of course not,” he mumbled unfocusedly, tracing every line of the older teen’s member rather obsessively.

“C-Can you stop staring at… _it_ like you’re gonna eat it?” Jason stammered, peeking at the younger demigod from beneath his arm.

Nico merely gave him a sly smirk, then reach out, trailing his fingertips over the older half-blood’s length. He gave a soft hum of appreciation when Jason’s member twitched at his touch, while the blonde simultaneously jolted, his arm firmly pinned over his eyes. He kept his gaze solely on the Roman, as he continued sliding the tips over his fingers of his length, his eyes rarely flicking from Jason’s form, afraid he would miss the slightest of reactions.

Jason let out a surprised gasp of air when Nico let his fingernail get caught in the slit of his cock, a sheen of precum making the tip of his finger glisten when he circled it around the head of the blonde’s member. “Feel good?” he murmured, his eyes gleaming wickedly as he grasped the older teen’s length, the words he was ready to utter coming out as a choked, incoherent string of sounds.

“I wanna see,” the younger demigod drawled, his hand matching the slow pace of his words over the Roman’s length, “how many times you can cum without going soft.”

“Y-You’re really t-trying to kill me,” Jason stuttered, and Nico could see his handsome features twisting with pleasure beneath his arm when the younger demigod squeezed his member gently.

“Never,” Nico flashed the older teen coy smile. “If you died, we’d never be able to have fun like this again. Plus, I’d never get a chance to have that cock of yours in my as—.”

Jason shook his head frantically, and Nico’s eyes widened subtly as he felt the older half-blood’s length twitch in his hand. An immoral smile stretched across his rosy lips as he put two-and-two together, his brows rising knowingly at the blonde’s darkening blush. “Oh, you’re less of a prude than I thought, Jace,” he purred, his pace picking up slightly as his gaze roved over the Roman’s flushed form.

The son of Jupiter stubbornly remained silent, his arm pressed more firmly against face and shielding his expression from view. Nico bit down his lower lip, slowly moving up the blonde’s tense form until his lips were beside his ear, though his hand never released the Roman’s cock. “You were thinking about fucking me, weren't you?” he whispered, his hand never breaking its pace between them.

A tinkling laugh escaped his lips at Jason’s choked groan, and he knew his movement along the older demigod’s length wasn't the only thing that had him making such a sound. “I bet it’s not the first time you’ve thought about it either, is it?”

Nico smiled against the blonde’s skin as he heard his breath hitch. “Mhm, I thought so,” Nico nipped the Roman’s earlobe as he picked up the pace of his stroking. “All you have to do is ask. Kindly of course.”

Jason shook his head, strangled sound slipping past his tightly pressed lips as Nico mouthed the skin beneath his ear, his hand never slowing despite the uncomfortable position. “Jason,” he sang softly, teasingly, “Do you wanna fuck me?”

The blonde remained silent, but his chest began rising and falling faster than before. “You wanna put your cock in my ass? Is that it?”

Nico swore he could feel Jason’s heart thudding through his member, and it only made him pause in his stroking, a smile curling at the corners of his lips. Jason gave a loud groan of discontentment at that, his hips unwittingly bucking into the younger teen’s fist. Nico slid his hand to the head of the blonde’s member, his thumb swiping across the tip to spread around the precum that had gathered there, his breath catching at the sight as his gaze flittered down between their bodies.

The raven haired demigod felt his member give its own jolt in his briefs, still stained from the pleasure he had wrought upon himself. “ _N-Nico_.”

His name was a desperate utterance that had him frozen, as shiver tingling down his skin before his hand began flying over the blonde’s length; more determined than before to make him cum. He butted the older demigod’s ear with the tip of his nose, his dark orbs gleaming with mischief as he spoke once more. “Jason, listen to me,” he hissed softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the blonde’s cheek, his sweet fervor battling with merciless strokes over the older half-blood’s length.

“Your virginity is mine, okay?” he tightened his hand around the Roman’s member, making him cry out loudly. “Don’t you _dare_ even think of giving it to anyone else.”

“Do you want me to take your virginity, Jason?” he whispered, and he could _feel_ the son of Jupiter was on the verge of coming, just from the way he stiffened further, the thrusting of his hips stuttering though Nico’s hand never broke its pace along his length.

Nico smirked wickedly as he felt precum staining his fingers, and he stopped right then, merely grasping the blonde’s length as he spoke his words a soft, sultry purr. “Do you, _praetor_?”

Jason came. Oh _gods_ did he fucking come. A strangled moan spilled from his lips as his hips punched upwards once, a rope of cum splattering against Nico’s bare stomach, then another, and another, and the younger demigod swore he counted four before Jason’s hips bucked upwards once more, weakly this time, cum trailing down the teen’s hand, his stomach, and his own chest once he settled back onto the mattress with a shaky sigh.

The young Italian pressed a chaste kiss against his cheek before he slid down the older half-blood’s form before he settled between his legs, his gaze fixed on the white, sticky substance on his fingers. He head tilted to the side, and he barely noticed Jason removing his arm from his face as he idly smeared the substance between his fingers.

Despite all the times he had been with Percy, he had never tasted cum. He wasn’t actually _sure_ why he felt so compelled to taste it, but it couldn’t be _too bad_ …right? He gave himself a slight shrug before he popped his cum-covered forefinger into his mouth, sucking it clean before his gaze flicked up, and he had the good grace to blush sheepishly when he and Jason’s eyes made contact.

Nico blinked owlishly at Jason’s expression, taking in the older demigod’s slackened jaw as well as his comically wide eyes that the son of Hades would have laughed at had he _not_ had his finger in his mouth. With that thought in mind, he removed his finger from his mouth with a soft pop. “What?”

“D-Did…do you just…?”

“Eat your cum? Yes,” he answered bluntly, licking his remaining fingers clean casually. “It doesn’t taste bad. It’s actually kinda…good.”

Jason remained silent for all of two seconds. “What is _wrong_ with you?! Can’t you get diseases from doing stuff like that?!”

“If I was a mortal, yes. But I’m not, so I have nothing to worry about. And neither do you.”

Nico ignored the older demigod’s ranting as his gaze drifted down to the Roman’s _still_ hard cock, cum slowly trailing down the length. Carefully, so as not to draw the blonde’s attention just yet, he shimmied his way between Jason’s legs until he was a few inches away from the older teen’s length. Jason paused in his rambling when Nico grasped his member, his gaze flicking from the Roman to his erect length. “N-Nico, what are you doing?” Jason asked numbly, propping himself up on his elbows in order to look down at the younger demigod.

“Cleaning,” Nico answered simply with a rather devious smirk, and before Jason could utter another words, his leaned forward, licking a path from the base of the older half-blood’s cock to the tip and chasing away a trail of cum.

Jason let out a surprised gasp when he licked the tip of his member, blinking up at the older demigod innocently before he continued his diligent “cleaning”. When the older demigod’s member was finally removed of the evidence of his climax, Nico grasped his damp length, giving it a cursory stroke before he looked up at the blonde, a guiltless smile playing on his lips. “Let’s do it again.”

The former praetor blinked once, his eyes wide and making his mesmerizing blue orbs pop in contrast to his surroundings. “Do…?” he cleared his throat when his voice came out as a nervous rasp and tried speaking once more. “Do ‘it’?”

“Mhm,” Nico hummed, pressing a kiss to Jason’s length, grinning when it twitched in response. “I wanna suck your—.”

“Nope! Not happening, we’ve already done it once—.”

“But _why_ ,” Nico whined, his lower lip poking out petulantly. “You won’t even fuck me, the least you can do is let me suck your c—.”

Jason sat up completely, slapping his hands over his ears, his face flushing embarrassedly. “D-Don’t say that! Gods, it’s so vulgar.”

The blonde removed his hands from his ears when Nico didn’t make a move to speak, patting the top of the pouting demigod’s head, his hand smoothing over the raven colored locks momentarily before he spoke. “Come on, get up.”

Nico shook his head stubbornly, his dark brows furrowing. Jason released an exasperated sigh despite the flush darkening his features, “Neeks—.”

His words were cut off by a strangled sound forced from his throat, his eyes widening when Nico stubbornly popped the head of his cock into his mouth, his brows raised in a silent challenge when the blonde’s hands delved into his hair, undoubtedly ready to pull him off.

That was before the younger half-blood swirled his tongue around the head languidly, making Jason hiss softly, his eyes squinting shut as his fingers tightened in Nico’s dark locks. “O-Once was e-enough, Neeks,” he grunted out, his golden brows furrowing with reluctant pleasure.

Nico pulled off, only slightly, his gaze locking on the blonde’s as he tongued the slit, never once breaking eye contact. Despite his Aphrodisiac induced confidence, Nico had absolutely _no_ experience in giving blowjob; hell, he had only gotten Jason off using what he knew from memory what felt good for himself when he touched himself. But somehow, he felt like he knew what he was doing. And because of the effects of the Sacred Love Wine, he was unable to feel the anxiousness he knew would be in the front of his mind under normal circumstances.

With those thoughts in mind, Nico took a deep breath, ignoring Jason’s nervous rambling as he went back down on his cock, taking it deeper into his mouth than before. The Roman’s fingers tangled in his dark locks as he slowly began bobbing up and down, his gaze flicking up every once in a while to take in Jason’s reaction. Being that it was his first time ever doing such a thing, Nico wasn’t quite able—or ready—to take the whole of Jason’s length into his mouth, thus, his hand worked diligently on the portion he was unable to take in, pumping slowly along the older teen’s member, and following the speed of the raven haired demigod’s mouth on the erect length.

“Fuck,” Jason cursed when Nico hallowed his cheeks, his tongue running across the underside of the older half-blood’s member.

Nico shifted against the bed, a muted whimper sounding as his confined cock rubbed against the mattress. Slowly, he grinded against the mattress, his lips lowering with pleasure, and he increased the pace of his bobbing over Jason’s cock, pulling back slightly in favor of paying special attention to the head before he dived back down, taking a little more of the blonde’s length in.

“T-Too sensitive, I…I’m gonna come, Nico.”

The younger demigod’s gaze flicked up at that, and he peered through his sinfully long lashes at the Roman, humming softly around his cock and sending vibrations through the length as he continued his movements along the blonde’s length. His hand tightened around Jason’s member, and he twisted his wrist as he continued his strokes, making the blonde cry out blissfully. “ _Nico_ , g-get off, I’m gonna—.”

Jason’s words were cut off by a sharp cry, he tightened his hands in Nico’s hair, his hips punching up and nearly making the younger demigod gag. Nico placed his free hand on the blonde’s hips, holding him in place as cum began spurting into his mouth and down his throat. Nico shuddered as he gave one last roll of his hips against the mattress, his own member jolting within its confinement as he came, his muffled moan nearly making Jason’s hips buck up once again. At first, he was at a loss for what to do, his eyes widening as rope after rope came out. Was he supposed to spit it out? Should he have pulled off earlier? Swallow it? That seemed liked the best bet. With a small shrug, he began swallowing it down, and Jason made a surprised sound when he realized what he was doing.

When Nico finally pulled off, he wiped his mouth clean of saliva and cum, then smirked wickedly at the Roman. “That was fun.”

Jason shook his head tiredly. “You’re absolutely…crazy.”

The young Italian grinned, batting his lashes teasingly. “Oh, you think? Why thank you, kind gentleman.”

Nico moved up the blonde’s form, nestling himself into his side comfortably, looking up when Jason cleared his throat apprehensively. “Nico did you…you know…?”

The younger demigod blinked curiously, then nodded as he realized what it was Jason was asking. “Yeah, speaking of which…”

He moved his hand down to his waist, pushing down his stained briefs, making sure to clean himself up as much as he could before he kicked the article of clothing down and off of the bed. “You know,” he drawled out, looking up at the blonde with a smirk on his features. “You’re naked, _I’m_ naked. We’re in a bed naked. Do you know what naked people in beds usually do?”

“Sleep?” Jason muttered, and Nico didn’t miss the way his eyes roved over his bare form, the older demigod’s cheeks darkening before he looked away.

“No, they have sex—,” Nico grunted as a pillow hit him square in the face, cutting off his words.

He pulled the pillow from his face with a slight scowl that only deepened as  Jason ignored him in favor of pulling a blanket up to cover their bare forms. “That was mean,” he whined, pouting up at the older demigod.

“Sorry,” Jason responded, not sounding very sorry at all.

Nico opened his mouth to retort, but before he could get a word out, Jason pressed a quick kiss to his nose, silencing him quickly. “You tired?” the younger demigod murmured, snuggling closer to his side.

“Mhm,” the Roman hummed, his eyes falling shut as he wrapped an arm around the young Italian.

Nico chuckled as he watched Jason gradually drift off to sleep, his features smoothing out comfortably. The younger demigod made a content sound before he felt exhaustion begin to take him over as well; something that was more than like Aphrodisiac induced, and as he eyes fell shut, he wondered how he would react to waking up beside the son of Jupiter.

~*~

When Nico woke up, it was not carefully, or slowly, or even serenely; it was abrupt. His eyes snapped open as images—almost like a movie—flashed through his mind. Everything he said, and everything he _did_ with Jason. “Oh gods, oh gods, oh _gods_ no,” he muttered anxiously, turning over and confirming what his memories told him. He had fooled around with Jason.

The blonde’s arms were locked securely around his torso, their legs tangled beneath the sheets and when Nico trailed foot along Jason’s leg, he nearly yelped upon realizing the Roman was naked…and so was he. Nervously, he struggled to sit up in bed, his actions halted when Jason made a sleepy sound, his arms tightening around his waist.

Oh, he did _not_ want to wake Jason up. He wasn’t ready to talk about what happened between him, to clarify some of the words that he stated during the time, especially when they didn’t yet make sense to himself. With that thought in mind, he cautiously removed a body length pillow from behind his head, careful not to jar the blonde while doing so. Carefully, he slid from the captivity of Jason’s arms, putting the pillow in his place.

He froze when the pillow was more than three fourths of the way in, Jason shifting momentarily before his arms tightening around the pillow, and much to Nico’s relief as well as surprise, the former praetor pulled the pillow the remaining way into his arms. The younger demigod pushed himself back until he was pressed into the headboard as far as he could go, his legs tucked into his chest and his arms wrapped around himself, pulling a stray blanket from the head of the bed and covering his bare for in it. He tried to hold off his thoughts for as long as possible, but in the end he gave in, unable to avoid the inevitable.

He fooled around with Jason. He felt his face heat at the mere _thought_ of the lewd words he had spoken last night. He wasn’t upset with the Roman for doing those things with him, no; he was upset with _himself_ for wanting it so much. He had tried to keep his secret desire locked away, never dwelling on it for fear the simple thought would consume him, and he’d be stuck chasing after a “friend” who more than likely did not return his feelings.

And what were his feelings anyway? He, himself didn’t even know, and it worried him. He was embarrassed for himself, and even more embarrassed for Jason. Jason deserved to do those types of things with someone he loved—like he obviously wanted—someone he was in a relationship with. Not with someone who only outwardly wanted him when influenced by some drink sacred to the goddess of love. He had put Jason in a shitty position, giving him no other option than to do something that held great importance to him. And even more so, it was a onetime thing, something that would _never_ happen again. That _had_ to rub Jason the wrong way; he wasn’t the type to do things like that—to hop from once person to the next.

Nico buried his face in the apex of his knees, drawing the blanket tighter around his small form.

He was scared. Scared of what he had done and why the thought of the son of Poseidon didn’t cross his mind _once_ while he was doing it. He was in love with Percy. Or he was supposed to be. He looked down at Jason, his eyes trailing over the blonde’s sculpted features lax with sleep.

Nico made a panicked sound in the back of his throat, burying his head in his hands, his fingers delving into his dark locks. He wasn’t supposed to do that type of thing with Jason, the closest thing he had to a best friend. He wasn’t supposed to _enjoy_ doing it with Jason, and he certainly wasn’t supposed to want to do it again. But he did. And as much as he tried, there was nothing he could do about that.

But oh _gods_ would Percy be pissed if he found out what happened. Despite him being with Annabeth, he was insanely possessive over Nico, and paranoid over the fact that the son of Hades and the son of Jupiter were hooking up. _Now_ he had reason to be wary, though he had no right to be. He was cheating on Annabeth, the love of his life, so why did he care what Nico was doing when they weren’t together? He had no right.

But Jason did. Jason, who was a good, noble guy, and more innocent than one would think. If he found out Nico and Percy had slept together—even if it was before he and the raven haired demigod had done _stuff_ —he would never speak to Nico again. And Nico couldn’t have that. He _wouldn’t_. He needed Jason though he was rather reluctant to admit it. Somewhere along spending time together, he had grown attached to Jason’s presence, and if he lost the Roman…he didn’t know what he would do. But even more than that, he didn’t want to cause any emotional pain to the former praetor.

He glanced over when he heard Jason shift beside him, his arm tightening around the pillow Nico had put in place of his own form, the blonde burying his face within its fluffy surface. Nico watched him through pensive, dark orbs, his lips thinning when he finally came to a resolution.

He didn’t want to hurt Jason. And he would go to great measures to avoid doing so. Even if it meant pushing him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfghjkl;  
> I'm really hyper and I don't know why.  
> qwertyuiop  
> OKAY.  
> Thanks for reading all you lovely people.  
> Chapter 18 will hopefully be posted soon, so in the meantime, let me know what you thought about this chapter.  
> LUV YOU ALLS. ;*


	18. Lyin King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Percy had no idea what was coming for him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY.  
> I seriously did not mean to take so long getting this chapter out. I think I rewrote this chapter about three times before I finally settled on this one.  
> Anyway, thank you to Rhea Horan for advising me on this chapter, as well as Wookiecookie, my oh-so wonderful beta.  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and criticism is welcomed. E N J O Y. [ ;  
> * The title of this chapter does not belong to me, it belongs to the wonderful Jhene Aiko, who also owns the actual song 'Lyin King'. *

** Percy’s POV **

Percy sat at the ping-pong table in the rec room, looking around at the other head counselors seated before him. Some munching on the usual cheese spray, crackers and chatting quietly amongst themselves, while other sat patiently, waiting for the meeting to commence. Among the quiet ones were Nico, who hadn’t said a word to him as he entered the room behind the son of Jupiter. His eyes were emotionless - trained on everything but the son of Poseidon and Jason. And if that wasn’t strange enough, he didn’t sit beside either himself or Jason, opting instead to seat himself between Butch Walker, head of the Iris cabin, and Katie Gardner, head of the Demeter cabin. Neither of the demigods he sat himself beside spared him a second glance as he sat down, continuing to either sit in silence or continue their conversations.

Percy casually let his gaze land on the only Roman in the room, Jason, who he could tell was trying his very hardest to keep his eyes off of the son of Hades and keep himself engaged in the conversation between himself and the head counselor of the Hebe cabin, a peppy, brunette girl with youthful features and a kind smile he was well acquainted with, though her name escaped him for time being. The blonde’s brows were subtly creased with concern, though he had a charming smile fixed on his features, laughing softly at something the daughter of Hebe was saying. In return, Nico kept his gaze fixed on the ping-pong table, idly fiddling with a chipped portion of the game table

Percy looked up at the sound of wheels rolling across the floor, and the room fell silent as Chiron rolled in, his centaur half hidden away in his wheelchair for the time being. Behind him, Will Solace shuffled in, looking more tired than Percy had ever seen him and that was saying something considering the major wars the two had fought in together. The son of Apollo barely caught himself from collapsing into the empty foldable chair beside Chiron, instead gracelessly lowering himself into the chair and staring ahead at the wall with an eerily blank stare. The centaur cleared his throat unnecessarily, casting Will a concerned glance before he spoke. “I understand that this meeting was called at a very…”

“Shitty time?” Connor Stoll supplied, earning an amused snort from his twin and a rather stern look from Chiron.

“Language,” the centaur warned, before giving his head a determined shake. “I was _going_ to say at a very indiscriminate time, but this meeting is very crucial, so I need you all to put aside anything else going on and focus your undivided attention on the matter you all were called here for.”

“Which is?” a son of Nike asked, his amber colored eyes gleaming eagerly in such a way Percy was reminded of the teen’s mother, and he shuddered at the memory. “Is there an upcoming war? Do we need to choose the victors—?”

“Would you give the whole ‘victor’ crap a rest, Nicholas?” Clarisse sighed, “Gods, that’s all you _talk_ about.”

Nicholas blinked, his head tilting to the side with confusion. “…Victory is the most important thing.”

A collective groan went around the table, but before anyone could expand on their irritation of Nicholas and his obsession with anything victory related, Chiron spoke again, and the room grew silent once more. “No, there is no upcoming war to be concerned with,” the centaur paused, then added cautiously. “I hope.”

Butch Walker sat forward, his hands folding on the table in an action that meant strictly business. “What’s going on?”

Chiron looked to Will Solace again, who merely continued looking at the wall ahead of him, not reacting at the great sigh that left the centaur. “Recently, children of Apollo have been going missing all over the country.”

The room was silent for all but one second before the head counselors began talking at once.

“What do you _mean_ missing?”

“They’ve been going on quests and not returning?”

“When did you find out?”

“Are they at Camp Jupiter by any chance?”

“Was it a mortal who took them? A god?”

Chiron held up his hand, waiting for everyone to quiet down before he spoke again, answering a question Ava, the head counselor of the Hecate cabin, had previously asked. “We have recently realized this, but there is evidence that proves that the disappearances have been occurring for a little under a month. But despite the short time frame, _many_ children of Apollo have gone missing. And not only from our camp, but from Camp Jupiter, as well as demigods that had yet to be brought to either of the camps.”

“How did you know the whereabouts of the half-bloods that hadn’t been brought to camp yet?” Percy inquired, unable to help himself from asking the question.

“The satyrs of course; we were informed that the demigods they had kept under watch suddenly vanished without another word,” Chiron clasped his hands together in a business like fashion, his gaze roving over each counselor before him.

“Is it _only_ children of Apollo being targeted?” Katie Gardner asked, sitting up in her chair and casting a sympathetic look in Will’s direction.

All was silent before Will seemed to come to life, the haze on his eyes lifting and determination hardening his features before he looked in Jason’s direction, the son of Jupiter meeting his gaze head on as he spoke. “No, not only children of Apollo; we got word from the Hunters of Artemis that their lieutenant, a child of Zeus, has gone missing, and has been missing for a little over a week. We have reason to believe that the one kidnapping children of Apollo is also targeting children of Zeus as well.”

Percy sat forward suddenly as Jason jumped up from his chair, his normally tanned skin a sickly pale color. “Thals…Thals is _missing_?”

“You have to be kidding,” Percy protested, shaking his head stubbornly. “Thalia would _not_ go missing, she…she’s Thalia _Grace_ for crying out loud! She would never let herself be captured, or kidnapped, or whatever!”

Will’s hands slammed down on the table, startling the other half-bloods beside Jason, who had become frozen with shock. The counselors nervously watched the normally laid back son of Apollo as his jaw clenched, his bright gaze locked on Percy’s. “Well she _is_ missing, just like eight of my siblings are. _Eight_. Do you hear me? They vanished out of thin air and we have _no_ idea who could have taken them, or if they’re even _alive_.”

His voice cracked on his last words, and he averted his gaze, seeming to deflate before everyone’s very eyes. “I was supposed to watch over them, to take _care_ of them, and now they’re gone.”

The daughter of Hebe, whose name Percy now remembered as Alma, stood and moved over to his side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, crouching at his side and whispering words of comfort. Meanwhile Percy startled at the sound of a chair falling to the ground, and he turned in time to see Jason darting from the room, Piper hot on his heels. Percy turned once more upon seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, and a slight scowl marred his features as caught sight of Nico moving to stand, his gaze fixed on the doorway, his obsidian colored brows furrowed and his eyes bright with concern. But before Percy could even give the younger demigod an objective look, his hands tensed on the arms of his lawn chair, and with great difficulty, he settled himself back down in his seat. His features washed of all emotion in the blink of an eye.

For the first time since the meeting began, Percy noticed Chiron not only watching the son of Apollo carefully, but the son of Hades just as closely, if not more. The centaur watched the raven haired half-blood for a moment more before glancing towards the door with a quiet sigh, then back at the demigods gathered around the table. “For now, let it be known that not only will children of Apollo and children of Zeus will be under surveillance, but _all_ demigods will be under a watchful eye. We will not permit _any_ of you to leave the camp this summer, and it is the same at Camp Jupiter.”

“Then where’s Annabeth?” Clovis, the head counselor of the Hypnos cabin slurred sleepily, his lids lowered with ever present exhaustion.

“She’s with her family in San Francisco. Before any of you come to believe that I have made any exceptions for her, know that she left early yesterday, before Mr. D and I had come to this conclusion.”

A few of the counselors looked to Percy for validation, and he nodded his agreement with Chiron’s words, his mind still whirling from the information he had received. The half-bloods and the centaur sat in silence for a few minutes, merely letting the news soak in; the only sound in the room the soft, soothing whispers of Alma as she attempted to console Will. “Alright, that is all for now. If we receive any more information regarding the disappearances, I will call another meeting. But for the time being, inform your siblings of the occurrences and the new rules. I want _no_ demigods even stepping a _foot_ over the boundary line, and no one is allowed in the woods after dark unless we are playing capture the flag. Harpy security will be amped up, meaning; you all should mind your curfew of ten o’clock.”

Chiron let out a long exhalation of breath through his nose, and then motioned to the door. “You lot are dismissed then. I suggest you catch your siblings and tell them of the news before lunch.”

There was a tense silence as everyone stood from their seats, solemnly shuffling out of the door. Percy looked around, searching for a head of raven colored hair amongst the campers before he spotted Nico at the head of the group, quickly making his way out of the Big House. With a small smile in Chiron’s direction as well as a sympathetic one Will’s and Alma’s, Percy darted from the room, quietly cursing to himself as he lost sight of the head of dark locks amongst the demigods once he reached the porch.

He silently wondered to himself if Nico had shadow travelled away to an unknown location before he spotted the young Italian walking slowly amongst the campers, obviously lost in thought. Percy couldn’t help but smile at the rather adorable sight he made; five-foot-two at the least, maybe five-foot-four at the tallest, his lips twisted into a troubled frown, and his dark brows furrowed pensively. Percy jogged up to him, the traces of his smile still tilting the corners of his lips. “Hey, Nico!”

The younger demigod flinched, obviously startled by the overzealous greeting, but Percy couldn’t have helped it if he tried; he had missed him. Nico looked up at him quickly, then back at the ground, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he nodded in greeting, his feet kicking up dirt as he trudged along. Percy frowned at that, his lips tipping down as he walked alongside the younger demigod silently. This was strange. Nico never acted this way towards him even when he was upset. He always saved that cute sheepish smile for him, that smile was between far a few nowadays and that he noticed was no longer solely directed at him, but at the son of Jupiter as well. But there was something different about the way he smiled at Jason that had Percy’s stomach twisting in suspicious knots. Despite how adamantly Nico denied having any sort of romantic feelings for the former praetor, Percy was starting to believe otherwise. The way Nico smiled at Jason, the way he interacted with him, and even _looked_ at him made Percy doubtful of his feelings. He knew he had no grounds, or _rights_ to be jealous, or upset if Nico really did have feelings for Jason, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to keep the younger half-blood away from the Roman at all cost.

He wouldn’t lose Nico to _anyone_ , especially not Jason. And he would do anything to make sure the two didn’t grow any closer, even if it meant telling a little white lie to keep them apart. “Do you want to go to the lake with me?” Percy asked, looking down at the younger demigod with a small smile on his features.

“Not really,” Nico mumbled, his head snapping up when Percy subtly grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers. “What…what are you doing?”

“Holding your hand,” he answered simply, leading the young Italian in the direction of the lake adamantly.

“Let go,” Nico hissed, struggling to remove his hand from the older teen’s grip, his eyes darting around frantically. “People are going to notice.”

“They’ll notice if you keep wriggling around like that,” Percy pointed out, his brows raised with a silent challenge as well as curiosity. The younger demigod seemed to be more on edge than usual, and if that wasn’t strange, his subtle, longing looks in the directions of the cabins were even odder. Did he really want to be back at his cabin that badly?

Nico watched him for a moment longer, emotions flashing through his dark orbs much too quickly for Percy to identify before he gave up, the fight draining out of his small frame as he allowed himself to be dragged along to the dock of the lake. Along the way, Percy attempted to make small talk with the younger demigod, but after multiple attempts that only ended up in further stifling the atmosphere, Percy opted to walk in the silence Nico so obviously wanted. When the two reached the pier, Nico snatched his hand from Percy’s grasp so suddenly, the older teen couldn’t have grabbed it back if he tried. He casted the younger half-blood a discontent look, but Nico merely averted his gaze stubbornly, as he shifted a few feet back. Percy settled himself down on the edge of the dock, letting his feet hang over the edge, while Nico seemed to sit as far away as possible from not only the edge, but from him as well.

“Why are you being so…weird?” Percy questioned, watching as the younger half-blood pulled his legs up to his chest, his gaze diligently averted.

Nico shrugged in response, focusing on scraping some imaginary stain from the knee of his jeans, ignoring the older demigod’s studious gaze. “And why won’t you talk to me?” Percy attempted to keep the desperate edge out of his voice, his hands balling into fists on the wood of the pier.

Percy paused in his line of questioning, and he looked ahead when he heard a quite bubbling sound, turning to see a young water nymph, her murky blue eyes wide with awe as they eyes roved over his features. He gave her a smile, hoping it didn’t look as forced as it truly was. And if water nymphs could blush, this one surely did before she dove back into the water, small ripples the only evidence that she had been there in the first place.

Percy looked back to the younger teen with a small smile on his features, a small sense of triumph making that smile grow when he caught sight of Nico peering over his shoulder curiously. “It was just a naiad.”

“Oh,” the younger demigod said softly, his gaze falling onto Percy’s features for a short moment before he looked away.

But this time, Percy wasn’t having any of that. Careful not to get in splinters in his hands or in the knees of his jeans, he crawled over to the younger half-blood, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek when he was close enough. Much to his surprise, Nico flinched away from his touch, an emotion close to panic flashing across his features as he scooted away only to have Percy capture his wrist with his dark brows raised suspiciously. “Okay, seriously Nico, what’s your deal?”

“Nothing,” the teen muttered in response, focused on trying to remove his wrist from the older half-blood’s grasp.

“You’re lying,” Percy protested, ducking his head to catch the younger demigod’s gaze. “You won’t look at me, you won’t talk to me, what did I _do_?”

Nico looked up at the frantic tone in his voice, the boy’s dark orbs gleaming with an unknown emotion. “Nothing, okay? Just…just let go.”

“Not until you tell me what I did wrong to deserve the silent treatment.”

Percy studied the younger teen closely for a moment, and in return, Nico studied him as well, except much closer. His dark orbs wandered over Percy’s features, his eyes shining nervously before resolution seemed to sharpen them. And with a slight nod of his head, Nico was moving forward, pressing his lips on the older teen’s.

Percy’s eyes widened at the unexpectedness of the kiss as well as the desperate, almost hopeful nature of it as well, but instead of pushing the younger demigod away like he was supposed to do, he reached out and clasped his cheek, merely pulling him closer, and attempting to deepen the kiss before Nico pulled away, his eyes trained on the wood of the pier. “I…I _can’t_ ,” he muttered, looking back in the directions of the cabins nervously. “I need to make sure Jason is alright...I-I—.”

Percy scoffed scathingly, unable to help the jealously that pulsed through his being. And he decided then that he would take the opportunity to keep Nico and the son of Jupiter apart, despite the fact that his conscience was screaming for him to leave the situation alone. He needed to let Nico have an opportunity with someone who could make him happy, not someone who would hide him away while they lived their life happily, privately indulging in more than one person at a time. Nico _needed_ Jason, and even _he_ knew that despite how upset that fact made him.

But at the same time, _he_ needed Nico as well, and he wouldn’t— _couldn’t_ —lose him to anyone. And _that_ was the reason why he let loose a few words that he knew would probably split them apart. “I’m sure he’s fine, I think that Emilian guy—that new kid of Aphrodite—is watching over him.”

Percy didn’t actually _know_ too much about Emilian and Jason’s relationship. He had just taken a proverbial leap of faith when spouting out the son of Aphrodite’s name due to the longing looks he was always giving the former praetor when he thought no one was looking.

Percy watched as Nico’s brows arched dangerously, his hands that had been fidgeting, stilling at his sides. “Excuse me?”

The son of Poseidon inwardly winced at what he was doing, but he forged ahead, unable to stop now that he had began. “Yeah, Annabeth was telling me about a talk that Jason had with Piper. Apparently he’s really interested in Emilian, and he wants to see where things could go between them.”

Nico silently mulled over the words, and Percy continued on, casually looking out over the lake. “Both Piper and Annabeth had thought he was interested in you, but apparently he told Piper that he would never date someone like you; that you have _way_ too much baggage for him to handle, and that you’re too promiscuous for him. But Emilian—.”

“I get it… _gods_ , I get it! Just shut up,” Nico snapped, surprising Percy just by how quickly he seemed to believe his words.

Apparently Jason and Nico’s bond of trust wasn’t as strong, or maybe as mutual, as he expected. Percy studied the younger demigod as he glared down at the pier, his rather small hands clenching tightly against the dock as various emotions flickered across his features that the older teen was rather fond of; the most prominent of them all being an anger that Percy could tell was a cover for the hurt he was feeling by the way the boy’s dark orbs were glistening precariously.

Percy nibbled on his lower lip as he watched Nico battle with the containment of his emotions that were rapidly flickering through his dark, shining orbs. Crap, he really fucked up. He didn’t mean to _hurt_ Nico; he just didn’t want him to be close to Jason. And evidently, he hadn’t been aware of the depth of their relationship; he hadn’t counted on the younger demigod being _this_ upset, just a little miffed. On impulse, he leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to the younger demigod’s cheek, his green orbs shining with remorse. “I’m sorry, Nico,” he murmured against the boy’s skin, inwardly chastising himself at the next words he spoke. “I…I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”

For a moment, Nico stiffened under his touch, and Percy nearly pulled away, not wanting the young Italian to be more uncomfortable than he most likely was. But before he could move more than a centimeter, Nico was pulling him back, and pressing their lips together momentarily before he pulled away, not even giving Percy the time to process what had just happened. The older demigod opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get out even the simplest of sounds, Nico was clutching onto his shirt, and biting down on his bottom lip in a way that made him look so terribly innocent yet so seductive, Percy could have taken him right on the pier, uncaring of whomever may walk past. “Can we go back to your cabin?” the boy whispered, his eyes wide and pleading as he locked gazes with the older half-blood. “I want you.”

And _that_ just increased that wanting by a tenfold.

Percy found himself nodding before his mind even caught up with his actions and began screaming at him to say no, reminding him that he had a girlfriend that he loved. But then Nico was standing, and pulling him along and Percy was getting lost in those tantalizing dark orbs, that seemed to beckon him closer with every step that he took, daring him to partake in those pouty, rosy lips the boy had. And just as Percy was ready to do so, a sharp, cold voice cut through his lust-induced haze, and he blinked rapidly to clear his mind as he recognized the voice.

“Nico di Angelo, get your scrawny little ass over here right, _now_.”

** Nico’s POV **

Nico inwardly winced at the sound of Drew’s voice, and he quickly released Percy’s hand, turning to analyze Drew’s nearly flawless features. And she did _not_ look very happy. The son of Poseidon looked between the two before he tried for a winning smile, his sea green eyes lighting up with the friendly action. “Hey, Drew. How’s it—?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t talking to you. If I wasn’t mistaken, I was talking to Nico,” Drew snapped, her sharp gaze never deviating from Nico’s. And the younger demigod couldn’t have looked away if he truly wanted to, the subtle disappointment in the female demigod’s eyes keeping him frozen in place.

“Whoa there,” Percy held up his hands with a teasing, easygoing smile. “I just _have_ to know what’s got your panties in a twist.”

“Hey, Percy?” Drew drawled, her gaze slowly sliding from the son of Hades to the son of the sea god.

“Yeah?”

“You know where that cute, perky little nose of yours belongs?”

“Where’s that?” Percy inquired carefully, his head tipping to the side curiously.

“In your own damn business,” the daughter of Aphrodite replied with a sweet smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Nico couldn’t help but shudder as she looked back towards him, all humor washed from her features. “I’m going to say this one more time, Nico, or you’ll learn just how bat-shit crazy I can be,” Drew grinned predatorily, placing her hands on her slim waist before she slid them down to her curvy hips. “Get your ass over here.”

Nico remained rooted to his spot for a moment, not out of obstinacy, but out of reluctance to hear the lecture he was sure to receive. But then Drew cocked a perfectly groomed brow, her glossed lips twisting into a smirk, and when she opened her mouth, Nico had no other option than to do what she said. “ _Get over here, **now**._ ”

Her charmspeak was strong, probably stronger than Piper’s due to the length of time she had to perfect it, and Nico found himself by her side, looking up at her dutifully as she smiled in Percy’s direction, giving him a dismissive farewell before she grasped the boy’s wrist, yanking him from the scene and snapping him from his daze as she did so. “What the hell, Drew; get off!” the younger demigod protested, his raven colored brows furrowed with irritation as the older demigod ignored his words.

Drew merely tightened her grip, dragging the younger demigod to the safety of a secluded area before she whirled in him, her dark locks whipping around rather dramatically, though the expression on her face was anything but. She was _pissed_. Nico could see it in the way her nostrils subtly flared as well as the near growling noise the girl was making: Nico was _sure_ when she had time to think over their encounter, she would be mortified by the less than ladylike sound that had spilled from her lips.

Nico worried his lower lip between his teeth as Drew threw down his wrist, her upper lip curled with disgust. And that hurt. Nico didn’t know _how_ much the daughter of Aphrodite had seen, but apparently it was enough for her to be repulsed by his actions. Her lovely features were hardened; all traces of the doting, teasing appearance she wore whenever the two were around one another were gone, the only thing left behind being an expression Nico had easily associated her with before he got to know her. People around camp called it her “bitch face”, and right now, Nico was _definitely_ seeing it. “Drew—.”

The Asian beauty held up her hand, halting his words with the action coupled with a dark glare. “I…” she shook her head, her darks locks spilling over her shoulders with the movement. “I can’t believe you.”

Nico couldn’t help but avert his gaze at the heavy disappointment in her tone. “What the _hell_ are you doing kissing him?” Drew inquired with a forced calm, and when Nico looked back in her direction, the daughter of Aphrodite closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she inhaled deeply, attempting to calm herself.

And that was all the time the son of Hades needed to steel himself, to keep his gaze on hers and not shy away at the disappointment shining in her orbs. “Why do you care?” he arched a single, obsidian colored brow, his head tipping to the side in an action that would have been identified as curious if not for the cynical gleam in his eyes. “It’s hardly your concern who I’m with.”

“Are you even _listening_ to yourself?” Drew inquired incredulously, her eyes widening ever so slightly. “Percy has a girlfriend, Nico. A _girlfriend_. One that’s he’s not going to leave for you!”

Nico shook his head stubbornly, resisting the urge to cover his ears as he had once done when Jason had told him something along the same lines. “You…you don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. I know you don’t want to hear this, and no one else will tell you this because they’re too busy _coddling_ you, but Percy doesn’t want to date you, he only wants to fuck you. That’s all your good for to him. Hate me for saying it if you want, but you know I’m right.”

Nico opened his mouth to protest, but Drew continued on determinedly. “Not more than three hours ago you were rolling in the sheets with Jason, and now you’re looking to hop in bed with _Percy_?”

The younger demigod looked away, his lips thinning at her implications. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m _saying_ that you’re lowering your worth, _you’re_ the one who’s making yourself cheap. Not Percy, not anyone else, _you_.”

Nico made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat as he shook his head. “I don’t need to hear this from you, or from _anyone_. I’m done with this conversation.”

“You’re going to fuck things up with him!” Drew shouted, throwing her hands up with frustration as she glared down at the younger demigod, grabbing his shoulder and whirling him back around when he attempted to flee the scene.

Nico watched her with wide eyes, startled by her outburst. Despite her reputation as “drama queen”, Drew usually didn’t lose her cool, especially _not_ this easily. “Gods, you don’t even _deserve_ him. He’s head-over-heels for you, and you couldn’t give a shit! Instead, you’re off playing around with Percy while Jason’s sitting in his fucking cabin, losing his mind over his sister’s disappearance. He _needs_ someone right now, and that someone should be you. But _no_ , you’re too busy worrying about whose dick is going to be up your ass next—.”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that,” Nico cut in, his face flushing with his anger. “You don’t know _shit_ about me, do you hear me? You don’t know a damn thing. So don’t sit here and act play the protagonist like you truly give a fuck about what happens in my life. You only care about yourself, and feeding into this twisted little matchmaking game you play.”

“I _do_ care about what happens in your life, why do you think I’m here talking to you—wasting my breath—if I don’t care?”

Nico scoffed scathingly at Drew’s denial. “Get a fucking clue. You’re only ‘helping’ me so that you can escape the shitload that’s _your_ life. You’re still hung up over the fact that you were knocked off your precious little pedestal as head counselor by someone _your_ siblings only knew for two days at the most; it’s pathetic. Well get this, _Drew_ ; they replaced you, because they don’t like you, most people at this camp don’t, so get the fuck over it.”

All was silent as Nico waited for Drew to react, knowing the effect that his biting words had caused on other people. Nico knew he was wrong for the words he had spat out as soon as he had said them, but he couldn’t help himself. When he was mad, he dug _deep_ , and he didn’t care who he was hurting in the process until the aftermath. He hadn’t _meant_ to take out his anger on Drew; she had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nico was simply enraged by what Percy had told him; so much that he couldn’t care less whom he lashed out at as long as it made him feel better. But in the end, he had to be thankful for what the son of Poseidon had told him, because it made distancing himself from the former praetor all the more easier. Though it _still_ didn’t mean he wasn’t hurt by what was said.

 

But he couldn’t lie and say he _didn’t_ mean to hurt people with his words. He just said the things most likely to make the argument cease. Sure, it was a terrible tactic that left him with loads of remorse, but it worked; taking low blows successfully ended any and all confrontations. It may leave him with a stinging cheek and a bloody nose, but it did its job.

But apparently, the daughter of Aphrodite was immune to his harsh words as he found out when she tipped her head back, a tinkling laugh of delight bubbling out of her mouth. “That was just cute,” she purred, clasping her hands together as her eyes roamed over Nico’s form, his jaw clenched at the mocking tone in her words.

“I’m well aware that people don’t like me, Nico,” she drawled, “But I honestly couldn’t care less. Do you know why?”

Nico merely watched her as she stalked forward, picking up a strand of his obsidian colored locks and twirling it around her manicured forefinger. “Aw, you don’t want to guess?” she cooed, poking out her lower lip petulantly. “Fine, then I’ll just tell you.”

“I couldn’t care less about what you or anyone else thinks about me because I’m a frigid bitch,” she said casually, examining the ends of the boy’s locks. “And you have _terrible_ split ends; you’re long overdue for a trim.”

The son of Hades had absolutely _no_ words in response to her declaration. Honestly, he had expected her to get mad and storm off like anyone else in her position would. He hadn’t expected her to take his words so lightly—so _uncaringly_. Drew released his raven strands in favor of peering down into his dark orbs with a smile. “I’m different from everyone else. You can insult me all you want to, but in the end, I’ll still be here telling you things about yourself that no one else will; so drop the indifferent façade, darling, because you’re not fooling me.”

Nico stared up at the female demigod silently, his eyes slightly widened with surprise. He felt his lips part, then close, then open once more as he blurted out the first words that came to mind. “Gods, you’re annoying.”

Drew grinned as she took a step back, tossing her silky locks over her shoulder. “Yes, I am. So, I take it you’re done throwing your fit?”

The younger demigod sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose with mild irritation. “Yeah, sure.”

“Good!” Drew inspected her sparkly nails, her gaze occasionally flicking up to examine the younger half-blood. “Now, please explain to me why you seem to have a stick up your ass?”

Nico nibbled on his lower lip reluctantly as he shifted his feet uncertainly. “Percy…he told me some… _things_ Jason has been saying about me.”

“Things?” Drew tilted her head curiously, her focus now completely on him.

“Yeah.”

The female demigod rolled her eyes, her hand flitting around aimlessly. “Come one, work with me, Nico. Things like what?”

Nico shrugged, digging the toe of his shoes into the grass distractedly. “He said that Jason was interested in Emilian. And not me.”

“That’s a load of shit,” Drew declared confidently.

“I don’t think so,” the young Italian murmured, Drew’s skeptical snort drawing his gaze from the ground and to herself.

“You’re an idiot,” the girl mused, her curvy hip jutting out lazily. “Seriously, how in Zeus’s name came you believe _anything_ that comes out of Percy’s mouth?”

Nico closed his mouth, cutting off his own words as his brows furrowed pensively. “Nico, Nico, _Nico_ ,” Drew sighed, her eyes falling shut dramatically. “He’s lying.”

“But he said Jason told Piper—.”

“Hold it,” Drew held up her hand, her perfectly groomed brows rising. “That right there should set off your bullshit detector. Why of all people would Jason tell Piper—his _ex-girlfriend_ —who he’s interested in?”

Nico shrugged in response, his hands fumbling at his sides. “Because they’re close; they always have been, and always will be. And…and why would Percy lie to me anyway, he—?”

“He’s jealous of your relationship with Jason, duh.”

“But Jason and I don’t _have_ a relationship like that,” he murmured, his face flushing with embarrassment. “We’re just friends.”

“How can you even say that after all the more than friendly stuff you did earlier?” Drew inquired, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Oh, yeah! Spill the details. Did you guys have—?”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, _no_.” The younger demigod shook his head stubbornly, his face aflame with heat. “It’s none of your business.”

“Bullshit, I’m the one who brought you two together,” the daughter of Aphrodite motioned to her form triumphantly. “You might as well call me Cupid.”

Nico shuddered at the name, his head shaking before he even caught up with his actions. “I’d rather not, thank you.”

Drew frowned, her lower lip poking out in a well perfected pout. “Fine, but at least go talk to Jason. He _is_ your friend isn’t he?”

The younger demigod shrugged noncommittally. “Sure.”

Nico still didn’t know what to believe. Yeah—as Drew pointed out—it would be strange for Jason to confide in Piper in regards to his romantic interests seeing as she obviously still had feelings for him. And there was also the fact that Jason had sworn that he would never judge Nico based on his sexual activity. Despite that, Nico wouldn’t really put it past the son of Jupiter to be deterred from him because of his promiscuity, despite the fact that he had only ever slept with one person. But Jason didn’t know that, so of course he would assume the worst. Besides, Jason was undoubtedly looking for perfection, and it most certainly wasn’t in Nico. So it was probably in Emilian.

Nico was drawn from his thoughts by an insistent thump against his forehead. “You’re over thinking things,” Drew pointed out as the younger demigod scowled, swatting the girl’s hand from his person.

“Are you going to talk to him, or not?” Drew demanded, her perfectly groomed brows rising questioningly.

With a heavy sigh, Nico nodded, ignoring the daughter of Aphrodite’s victorious grin. “I will…tomorrow.”

“ _Tomorrow_? Are you serious?”

Nico couldn’t help the smirk that graced his lips at Drew’s dramatic exhalation, and he gave a quick nod as he watched the female demigod daintily wipe her forehead of imaginary sweat. “Nico di Angelo, you are _exhausting_.”

“So, I’ve been told.” he muttered, looking in the direction of the cabins resolutely.

Yeah, he’d talk to Jason tomorrow.

** Jason’s POV **

Jason remained burrowed in bed for the rest of the day, ignoring the words of comfort Piper attempted to soothe him with. At most times, he was so overwhelmed by the fact that his sister—the only _real_ family he had left—was missing, he could barely breathe. And just as Will Solace said, he didn’t know if she was alive, or well, and that’s what scared him the most.

Yes, he sometimes despised the fact that Thalia was a Hunter of Artemis, just because of the mere fact that he couldn’t see her as much as he wanted to. He hated that feeling of loneliness that occasionally befell, that was something only family could take away. He hated that she was barely allowed to associate with him because of who she was, and how his gender conflicted with the oaths that she swore before she even knew he was alive.

But the one positive thing always outweighed the bad, was the fact that he knew that she was always _safe_. That she was taken care of and healthy. And now…now he didn’t know _how_ she was, didn’t know if she was okay, if she was dead or alive; he didn’t know _anything_.

Jason made a desperate sound into his pillow, despair making tears prick the back of his eyes, and the air whoosh from his lungs. Sure, he had told Piper that he wanted to be alone, but he didn’t exactly mean that. Yes, he wanted her to leave, wanted Leo to leave, but at that moment, he only wanted one person by his side.

And where, pray tell, was the younger demigod when he needed him? Off doing gods know what. And that stung Jason almost as much as the thought of losing his sister did. After all they had done—especially with Nico knowing how much it meant to him—Jason thought the younger demigod would have been the first one to follow him out of the rec room. Sure, it had been more than awkward getting dressed and showered after they woke up; Nico had refused to reply with more than one word when Jason initiated a conversation, and wouldn’t even look him in the eye. But he thought the son of Hades would have pushed that aside because Jason needed him.

Apparently he didn’t know Nico as well as he thought.

Jason stared ahead at the wall, the sound of the ever-present thunder in the room soothing his frayed edges if only for a moment, and lulling him into a serene daze, the image of the wall seeming to double the longer he looked at it. He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard the telltale signs of the cabin door opening, and soft footsteps pattering against the floor, slowly drawing Jason from his haze. “Good morning,” a soft, tinkling voice that he recognized greeted softly.

Jason’s brows furrowed with confusion and he felt the mattress dip with a new weight, and he looked over his shoulder to see Piper’s softly smiling face. “Morning…?” he rasped uncertainly, his nose scrunching up at the sound of his own voice.

“Yeah, you kinda slept through yesterday,” Piper cleared her throat, fixing a megawatt smile on her lovely features. “I brought you breakfast; thought you might be hungry since you barely ate.”

Jason couldn’t help the barely there twitch of his lips as Piper presented him with the biggest brownie he had ever seen. “This hardly counts as breakfast, Pipes.”

His ex-girlfriend tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a shrug. “I thought you could use something a little sweet. And now that I look at you, it seems what you need is a burst of energy. I would think one who had more than ten hours of sleep would look well-rested.”

The blonde shrugged, dismissing Piper’s fretting as he sat up, accepting the dish that contained the brownie. He wasn’t actually _sure_ if he had slept or if he merely stared at the wall for hours on end. Despite his appearance, he felt fine…well, as fine as one could be when their sister had gone missing. “Any news on the disappearances?”

Piper sighed softly, shaking her head with no little amount of frustration. “Nothing…except for the fact that a descendant of Apollo has gone missing from Camp Jupiter.”

Jason paused, his hand stilling halfway to his mouth, the bit of brownie hanging limply between his fingers. “A descendant?”

The daughter of Aphrodite nodded, reaching over and breaking off a portion of the pastry, a thoughtful look in her kaleidoscope orbs. “Yeah, we were all surprised by that. It seems the kidnapper is getting more creative.”

Jason nibbled on his piece of the brownie, his golden brows creasing. “Have we narrowed down the list of…suspects?”

Piper tilted her head from side-to-side uncertainly. “Kind of. We took Artemis from the list, seeing as the demigods that have gone missing are both female and male. And as I’ve heard, Artemis isn’t very fond of males, and she doesn’t unwillingly take female demigods to join the Hunter’s; they have to join of their own freewill. And it wouldn’t make sense for her to kidnap her own lieutenant.”

Jason swallowed dropped the brownie bit in his hand back onto the plate at the mention of his sister, the little appetite he had vanishing. “Is that all?”

“Zeus of course. He and Apollo are on good terms according to Hephaestus TV, and there would be no reason for him to kidnap Thalia either. He most likely would have taken you as well if he did.”

“So out of the twelve Olympians, that leaves Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Demeter, Hermes, and Hephaestus. Oh, yeah, and Dionysus.”

Piper snorted. “Yeah, we crossed Mr. D off of the list. He can barely stand half-bloods as it is, so why would he kidnap them?”

“You’ve got a point there.”

“We also crossed Aphrodite off of the list as well. First, we thought she may have kidnapped Thalia to spite Artemis, because of the whole ‘eternal maiden’ thing, but there would be no reason for her to kidnap children of Apollo.”

“What about Hephaestus?”

“Hephaestus wouldn’t do anything like that unless mother—Aphrodite—stepped outside of their marriage with a child of Apollo. And that would have nothing to do with Thalia.”

Jason paused for a moment, his golden brows furrowing curiously. “Hey, since Vulcan and Venus—I mean Hephaestus and Aphrodite—are married, wouldn’t that make you and Leo step-siblings or something like that?”

Piper shook her head determinedly. “We’re not even going to get into that, Jason.”

The blonde smiled fleetingly, nodding for her to continue. “Go on.”

“Okay, so we also crossed Ares off of the list.”

Evidently that surprised the son of Jupiter if the slight slackening of his jaw was anything to go by. “Why? Mars— _Ares_ —is all about war. He _craves_ it. And by kidnapping Thalia and descendants of Apollo, he would get that war.”

Piper nodded approvingly, reminded Jason of a proud teacher. “Correct, _but_ , that means he would risk the wrath of Zeus, and even _he_ isn’t crazy enough to evoke that.”

“True,” Jason muttered, picking at the pastry in his lap absently. “Demeter then?”

“Demeter has absolutely no reason to abduct children of Apollo; she _adores_ him seeing as he’s the god of the sun and whatnot.”

Jason nodded his agreement. “Right, the goddess of harvest couldn’t afford to upset the god of the sun. She needs him.”

“Right. We’ve also crossed Poseidon off of our list.”

Jason opened his mouth to protest, but Piper held up her hand with a slight shake of her head. “I know what you’re getting ready to say, but Poseidon has nothing against Apollo. And though he and Zeus go at it on occasions, of the Big Three, he and Zeus get along the best.”

After a moment of silence, the blonde nodded reluctantly, ignoring his own mental chastisement. He had nothing against the god of the sea, but he did have a few things against a certain son of his. “So of the twelve, that leaves Hermes, Athena, and Hera.”

“We’ve crossed Athena off as well. She’s one of Zeus’s favorite children, and Thalia is the best friend of Annabeth, her child.”

“Yeah, but I heard she tried to get Percy killed, despite Annabeth’s feelings, or friendship with him at the time.”

Piper waved her hand dismissively. “She and Poseidon have an ongoing feud, you know that. Naturally, she’s going to dislike Percy.”

Jason let out a long exhalation of breath through his nose, handing the dish that contained the brownie to the daughter of Aphrodite who seemed to be enjoying it more than he at the moment. “Hera and Hermes are the last ones then.”

Piper graciously accepted the plate, drawing her legs up on the bed and crossing them comfortably to create a perch for the dish. “Yes. We have yet to take Hermes off of the list despite Travis and Connor’s protests. He _is_ the god of thievery, so that would explain how he would get away with the kidnapping without leaving behind a trace.”

“But what reason would he have for taking the demigods?”

Piper shrugged, breaking off a piece of the sweet treat. “It could be as a joke—a prank really. He’s known for toying with Apollo. But what we’re trying to figure out, is why he would take Thalia.”

“Hera?” Jason questioned, accepting the suspicion towards Hermes and moving onto the next suspected Olympian without missing a beat.

“She’s our main suspect. She’s detests all demigod children of Zeus, and she’s not very fond of Apollo either.”

“How come?”

“She’s the goddess of marriage; would you really put it past Apollo to…hook up with a married woman?”

Jason shook his head, picking at the fabric of his comforter pensively. “Okay then; the two main suspects are Hermes and Hera. All we have to do is—.”

Piper cut him off with a wince, her eyes shining with subtle sympathy. “I hate to be anything but optimistic, but there are dozens—maybe _hundreds_ —of minor gods we have yet to look at.”

The Roman’s shoulders drooped with that statement, the naïve hope in his blue eyes dissipating like an extinguished candle. “This could take _weeks_ to figure out then.”

Piper nodded solemnly as Jason made a desperate sound in the back of his throat. “We don’t _have_ weeks! The demigods could be in danger—my _sister_ could be in danger. If they’re alive now, in less than a week, they could be dead!”

“Jason, get a hold of yourself,” Piper commanded softly, setting aside the dish in her lap in favor of grasping her ex’s shoulders firmly. “Don’t you dare start thinking like that, okay? We’re going to find them, and when we do, they’ll be alive and well. Do you hear me?”

Jason shook his head stubbornly for a moment before he shook himself of Piper’s hold, dropping his head into his hands with a distressed sound. “I…I just want my sister back.”

“I know, Jason.” Piper leaned forward; resting her head on his shoulder slowly as if afraid she would startle him. “But we’ll find them. If we defeated Gaea, the _earth mother_ , we can find some stupid kidnapper.”

The former praetor nodded hesitantly, sighing heavily. “I need to pull it together,” he muttered more to himself that Piper, though the daughter of Aphrodite nodded against his shoulder anyway.

“What you need is some fresh air, real food, and a little Valdez humor,” Piper declared, making the blonde chuckle despite his despair.

“Thanks Pipes.” Jason gave the girl a small smile as he lifted his head from his hands, his smile only widening at the one Piper gave him in return.

“No problem,” the female demigod pressed a chaste kiss against his cheek  as she scooted back to her original position. “You know I’m always here for you when you need me.”

Jason opened his mouth to respond, only to straighten up on his bed as the door to his cabin swung open hesitantly. The blonde’s brows furrowed with confusion as he leaned this way and that, attempting to get a better view of whomever was at his door. It was probably Leo; the son of Hephaestus usually barged into his cabin unannounced, forgoing all decencies. But the head that poked into his cabin was not the one of his best friend, despite the similarly colored mops of hair atop the boy’s head. “Jace?”

The son of Hades was peering into the cabin nervously, his eyes darting from Jason to Piper every so often. Subtly, Piper nudged Jason’s leg, drawing his attention from the door to her once more. “ _Jace?_ ” she mouthed, her auburn colored brows rising curiously.

Jason shook his head dismissively; turning back to the raven haired demigod, his eyes roaming over the boy’s fidgeting form with a forced stoicism. “Pipes, can you give us a moment?”

The Native American girl nodded, leaning over and pressing one last chaste kiss to the blonde’s cheek before she stood from her spot on the bed and made her way towards the door, casting the younger demigod a distrustful glance as he stepped out of her way. “Nico,” she muttered coolly, and the boy nodded in response, his gaze fixed on his well worn Converse.

Nico finally looked up until the door closed behind the daughter of Aphrodite, and he gave Jason a shaky smile, uncertainly taking a few steps forward. “I don’t think she likes me.”

The Roman shrugged, picking up the plate of the forgotten pastry, not to eat, but to distract himself with. Jason poked at the brownie as Nico took a stepped closed to the bed, the only sound in the room the soft pattering of shoes. “You okay?” the younger of the two inquired softly.

Jason snorted cynically, jabbing his forefinger through the center of the brownie. “Wonderful. I haven’t felt this great in ages.”

“There’s no need for the attitude,” Nico pointed out. “I’m only asking because I care.”

“Sure you do.”

“I _do_.”

“I just said that, didn’t I?” Jason couldn’t help the sour feelings brewing in his chest towards the son of Hades as he wedged the brownie in half, shoving a portion of it into his mouth to keep himself from spouting the way he was really feeling at the moment.

“If you don’t slow down, you’re going to choke,” Nico came to a stop beside the bed, ducking his head in an attempt to catch the blonde’s gaze.

Jason casually turned his head a fraction, successfully avoiding Nico’s dark orbs as he swallowed with a little difficulty. “Do you need something?”

Jason heard Nico shift uncomfortably, and at the moment, he felt no remorse for making him feel so awkward. “I came to see how you were doing—.”

“Well now that you see that I’m fine, you can leave.”

With a growl of frustration, Nico grasped the former praetor’s chin, jerking his face in his direction determinedly. “I don’t know _who_ pissed in your cereal this morning, but it doesn’t mean you have the right to take out your anger on me.”

Jason smacked the boy’s hand away with a mocking harrumph. “I have every right to take my anger out on you seeing as you’re the source of it.”

“ _Me_?” Nico asked skeptically, his features contorting with confusion. “What did I do?”

“It’s what you _didn’t_ do that has me upset.”

“If anyone has a reason to be upset, it’s me!”

Jason shook his head with an irritated sigh. “It’s always about you, isn’t it?”

“Gods, I’m _sick_ of it!” Jason declared pushing aside the plate in his lap with more force than necessary. “It’s always about you, Nico! Can’t it be about _me_ for a moment?”

“And _you_ call _me_ self-centered—.”

“You _are_. I’m always there for you when you need me, but when I need you _once_ , you’re not there for me!”

“Why should I be there for you when you talk shit about me behind my back?!”

Jason threw his hands up with a frustrated sound. “What are you even _talking_ about?”

“Percy told me what you said, okay?” Nico accused, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.

“Please, do tell what I said about you, Nico.”

“He said that you were interested in Emilian, and that you would never be with me because I have too much _baggage_ and I’m too fucking promiscuous for you.”

Jason opened his mouth to protest, but Nico cut him off with a condemning point of his forefinger. “You lied to me! You said you would never judge me based on what I did behind closed doors, and you did!”

“No, I didn’t! I would never say something like that, Nico.”

The younger demigod turned away obstinately, his jaw clenched determinedly. Jason shook his head disbelievingly. “You’re absolutely ridiculous, you know that? I’ve never lied to you before—never given you a reason to stop trusting me, and yet here you are doubting me.”

“I—.”

“ _No_. I’ve never lied to you before, Nico, and you’ve lied to me on various occasions, and yet I haven’t doubted you! And what’s really messed up about this is that one tiny rumor kept you from checking up on me after you heard my _sister_ had gone missing.” Jason shook his head with a growl of frustration, “And still you're sitting over here spouting crap about ‘caring’ for me—.”

“I _do_!”

“Bullshit!” Jason shouted, slamming his hand down on his bed, ignoring the clattering of the dish. “I do everything for you, Nico— _everything_. And I need one thing from you—just one— and you can’t give it to me because you’re too busy doubting _me_. How is that fair after all the spiteful shit you’ve said to my face? But you know what; I was _still_ there for you after everything you said, everything else aside because you _needed_ me.”

At this point, Jason couldn’t feel anything but his own pain; pain at losing his sister, and pain at being ignored when he needed someone most. And ultimately, that pain morphed into raw anger. Anger that Nico would _dare_ to doubt him, and most of all, anger that the son of Hades choose Percy’s word over his own, despite what he had down for him. What made it hurt worse, was that less than twenty-four hours ago, Jason was doing something with Nico that he normally held sacred—something that he had never done with anyone else. And yet, Nico was _still_ choosing Percy over him.

“Fuck it,” the blonde growled, throwing his blanket to side in favor of sliding from bed, ignoring the dizzy spell that overtook him at his rapid motions.

He snatched up his sneakers, shoving them on his feet, not even checking to see if they were the identical pair. “J-Jace?”

The blonde ignored the younger demigod as he laced up his shoes rapidly, his sculpted features hardened by anger. “Jason, where are you going?” Nico demanded nervously, putting himself between the Roman and the door when the blonde moved towards it.

“To talk to Percy.”

Nico eyes widened at that, and he dashed forward, pressing the palms of his hands against the son of Jupiter’s chest, attempting to keep him from moving forward. “Jason, stop! I’m sorry, okay?!”

Jason continued to push forward, making the younger half-blood more frantic as he closed the distance between himself and the door. “Jason, listen to me! You’re upset, you’re not in your right mind to talk to him right now, so— _stop_!”

His anger fueled by his despair over losing his sister—as well as various other predicaments—was ruling him at this point, making him unable to think rationally as he pushed the younger demigod aside, pulling open the door to his cabin and zeroing in on Cabin 3, his sky blue eyes darkened by pain induced fury as he stepped out of his lodgings.

Percy had no idea what was coming for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now we're getting into the main plot. [ ;  
> Also, I have a little impromptu poll for you all:  
> So recently, I got an email from one of my readers asking me if I would consider writing a Solangelo (Nico/Will Solace) fic after I finish with Forgetting You. I wouldn't mind writing one, and I have considered doing it--seeing as I have nothing against the pairing. It's just that as a character, I don't know very much about Will Solace, so I'm a tad bit iffy in regards to writing a fic with him being a main character. I just don't want to offend anyone by screwing up his characterization.  
> Anyway, I don't know. Give me your opinion on this matter? I would really appreciate it. [ :  
> Thanks for reading, luff you alls. [ ;


	19. You've Got Me in Chains for Your Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He couldn't give in. He wouldn't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!  
> I finished Chapter 19 quite early. All of you all's eagerness for the chapter got me all excited to write, and I just so happened to finish early.  
> So, here it is. [ :  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcomed, enjoy. [ ;  
> * The title of this chapter is a song lyric from Nick Jonas's Chains, I do not own that song, I am merely borrowing lyrics. *

** Nico’s POV **

This was bad. _Very_ bad.

Nico made a desperate sound in the back of his throat as he was pushed aside by the son of Jupiter once more, the blonde having his sight set on a certain cabin that contained a certain obliviously-screwed son of Poseidon. “Jason,” he pleaded for what seemed the millionth time, and scurried into the Roman’s path for the _zillionth_ time. “Will you at least talk to me?”

The former praetor sidestepped the young Italian, not even seeming to recognize the sound of his voice, much less hear him. Nico inwardly cursed himself for being the reason for the current predicament, his mind whirring rapidly as he grasped the blonde’s wrist, digging his heels into the ground and keeping himself rooted to his spot to stop the Roman from moving any further. “Jason, I don’t feel well, will you take me back to your cabin?” he questioned, unable to keep the anxious tone from his voice.

Jason merely shook off his hold, eyes not deviating from his path. “Jason, I feel like I’m going to throw up,” the younger demigod tried once more. This time his words holding some semblance of the truth as he was mentally grasping for straws that seemed to be rapidly disappearing at the closeness between themselves and Cabin 3.

He was so frantic at the thought of Jason confronting the son of the sea god in this state; his stomach was coiling itself into knots while it simultaneously seemed to churn precariously. He hadn’t meant for this to happen. Heck, he hadn’t even meant to _tell_ Jason what Percy had previously told him, but in the heat of the moment, he couldn’t help himself, and now he was seriously regretting his blurted words.

Nico’s gaze flitted over to Cabin 3, the cabin they were fast approaching much to his dismay. He had to get Jason to stop. He knew should Jason step to him, Percy wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate, and he knew that was _his_ fault. Before this whole thing with Percy, the son of Jupiter and the son of Poseidon had been friends, _good_ friends he even dared to say. But because of him, the two had some sort of tension between them, be it from jealousy, protectiveness, or possessiveness over him, or a mix of all three, he wasn’t exactly sure. He just knew it was toxic. Furthermore, if he didn’t stop Jason from confronting Percy, World War III would undoubtedly occur. And he was afraid to say that while Percy may hold back; Jason wouldn’t—not while he was blinded by his own fury.

“Jason, please? I’m sorry,” the son of Hades tried again, grasping the former praetor’s arm and pulling him back with all his might, heedless of the campers milling around.

“ _Jason_ , stop it!” he demanded when the blonde paused to disentangle his arm from the teen’s hold.

Nico looked up at the Roman, noticing that his blue eyes were strangely glassy in a way that he instinctively knew he wouldn’t get through to him with words, but with action. Nico worried his lower lip between his teeth as he gripped the older demigod’s arm even tighter when Jason nearly freed himself from his grip. Suddenly, and idea popped into his mind. His raven colored brows furrowed indecisively at the proposition, but when Jason attempted to move forward despite the younger half-blood hanging from his arm, Nico quickly pushed aside all of his doubts and released the blonde’s arm, stepping in front of him with a shaky exhalation of breath.

Nico grasped the front of Jason’s shirt determinedly, rising up on his tiptoes and pressing his lips to the blonde’s, successfully stopping him from making any further movement. The younger demigod squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he heard a surprised gasp from somewhere off to his right, and despite the flaming in his cheeks, he kept his lips against Jason’s, refusing to move an inch until he was sure the Roman wouldn’t attempt to go after the son of Poseidon once more.

Everything seemed to be going just fine—Jason appeared to be calming, not engaging in the kiss, and most likely ready to push the younger demigod away, which he was fine with—until all at once, the blonde seemed to tense against him, and Nico’s eyes flew open as he heard a familiar growl of anger that bordered jealousy. _Oh gods, please no_ , he inwardly whispered as Jason pushed him away, swatting his hands off of his t-shirt when he attempted to pull them older demigod back towards him, not to keep his lips on his, but to stop him from looking at the current object of his anger.

But once again, the fates seemed to be against him, and Jason pushed him aside, glaring down the fuming son of Poseidon, whose own sea green eyes were darkened with his own fury. “ _Crap_ ,” Nico whispered to himself, his voice trembling with the force of his nerves.

He unwittingly took a step back, guilt further twisting his stomach in knots when Percy fixed him with those accusing sea green eyes, and Nico looked up as the faint sound of thunder he hadn’t noticed until that moment grew louder, startling a few half-bloods around them. Bad weather never affected Half-Blood Hill due to the magical charms surrounding the camp, and to hear the ominous sound of thunder so close above was a little more than nerve wracking. Especially for Nico who knew the cause of the sound was standing right beside him, his blind rage only growing with each silent moment that passed.

“Jason,” he murmured apprehensively, reaching out to grasp his bicep in an attempt to capture his attention.

The younger demigod yanked his hand back with a soft hiss of pain, his eyes only widening further at the electricity crackling around the older half-blood, who seemed oblivious to anything and everything except for the son of sea god. “Nico,” Percy snapped, attempting to keep the growl out of his voice and failing miserably.

Nico shook his head frantically when Percy took a step towards him, causing the Roman to stiffen further, the skies above darkening when the oldest demigod continued to move forward. “Percy, stop!” Nico held up his hand, attempting to halt the son of Poseidon’s movements.

When Percy kept moving forward, Jason seemed to snap into action, shoving the oldest half-blood back when he nearly closed the distance between himself and the young Italian. Nico flinched at the telltale crackle of electricity that he observed dancing across the blonde’s fingertips, and Percy stumbled back, not only from the forceful shove, but from the sheer force of the electrical current. Nico clenched his sweaty fists, his heartbeat picking up at the smirk that danced across Percy’s handsome features, and he knew if he didn’t stop this now, there would be a full out clash, and sure, he was more than confident in his own abilities, but wasn’t certain that he had the ability to stop both demigods from harming one another. Especially not two powerful sons of the Big Three.

“What’s with all this wind?”

Nico turned at the sound of Leo’s voice, the son of Hephaestus’s unruly curls whipping around with the force of breeze that he had yet to notice as well. “Leo!” he called out frantically, attempting to be heard over the fierce winds. “I need your help!”

“You need my _what_?” the Latino furrowed his brows, his ochre colored orbs brightening with delight when he caught sight of the son of Jupiter standing behind him. “Hey, Superman—!”

Leo’s eyes widened with shock, and Nico turned to see Percy suddenly barreling forward, smacking into the former praetor and sending them both tumbling to the ground. “What in Hera’s name is going on?!” Leo rushed over to Nico’s side, the younger demigod’s jaw slackened with alarm as he watched the two son’s of the Big Three tumble on the ground, fists flying uncoordinatedly.

Distantly, he heard a camper shouting frantically. “The lake is _flooding_!”

“Nico, _listen to me_!” Leo demanded. His eyes full of distress as he watched the son of Jupiter and the son of Poseidon roll on the ground, and Nico caught him wincing as Jason’s fist connected with Percy’s jaw. “Tell me what’s happening!”

Nico made a desperate sound in the back of his throat as Percy kneed the Roman in the stomach, shoving him off of his person only to pounce back on him. There was nothing graceful about their fight, nothing synchronized or well planned; all training they had learned in the years at each of their respective camps forgotten in the heat of the moment. “I…I—.”

“Are they possessed by eidolons?!” Leo shouted over the raging winds, his brow eyes wide with fear, “Do I need to get Piper?!”

Nico found himself nodding before his mind caught up with the action, and he barely noticed Leo darting off against the force of the winds, dashing off in the direction where he apparently last saw the daughter of Aphrodite. The younger half-blood watched the brawl helplessly, his mind a mess of useless options. Momentarily, he considered calling forth a few of the dead to force the few apart, but then he remembered, despite their exceptional fighting skills, they had minimal strength due to their…lack of muscles. Besides, if he called forth the dead, they would only fight Jason and Percy, and could more than likely cause harm to them in the process. And Nico couldn’t have that. He didn’t want either of them to get hurt, but here he was, watching uselessly as the two half-bloods pummeled into one another relentlessly.

This was all his fault. And if he could do something to take it back, he would, a million times over and over again. Nico’s gaze snapped to the side as he heard his name being called, and reluctant relief washed over him like a cold bucket of water dumped over his head as Piper raced towards him, Leo right by her side. “What’s going on?” her eyes widened as she caught sight of the two demigods rolling through the grass, limbs flying with alarming force.

“No time to explain, just stop them!” Nico demanded, frantically, a subtle edge of irritation in his voice as Piper continued to watch the scuffle, kaleidoscope eyes widened with horror. “ _Piper_!”

The daughter of Aphrodite snapped from her daze, her eyes hardening with determination as she stepped forward, careful not to get to close to the fight raging before her. “ _Jason, Percy, stop._ ”

Nico could feel the strength of her charmspeak, and he breathed a short sigh that he hadn’t realized he had been holding until the two half-blood’s paused, fists hovering in midair. However, his relief was short lived as the son of Jupiter and son of Poseidon seemed to fight fiercely against the charmspeak, and mere seconds later, their fight persisted with more force than before. Nico looked up at the sharp crackle of lightning ahead, and distantly, his noticed the violent crash of waves against the shore of the lake and the splintering of wood as the pier undoubtedly gave way to the insistent waves. “Do it again!” Leo demanded, his hands rifling through his tool belt for something that would stop the two half-bloods.

Piper nodded, and Nico noticed her hands trembling much like his were as she spoke again. “ _Jason and Percy I **command** you to stop!_ ”

This time, the half-bloods didn’t even pause in their brawl, but Nico noticed their bodies shuddering against not only the force of their blows, but the force of their resistance against Piper’s frantic charmspeak. “I don’t know what to do!” Piper shouted frantically, flinching at a particularly close strike of lightning. “My charmspeak isn’t working!”

“We need to get Chiron, or Mr. D, or _someone_! At this rate, they’ll destroy the whole camp!” Leo exclaimed, uselessly yanking a nylon rope from his tool belt and tossing it aside as he continued to rifle through its contents with shaking hands.

Nico made a desperate sound in the back of his throat as he turned from the fight; his breathing labored with his nerves as his gaze darted around frantically, searching for someone who could help. His eyes widened as he caught sight of a familiar head of silky strands, and he waved his arms frantically. “Drew!”

The daughter of Aphrodite marched in his direction upon seeing him, and he noticed the annoyance in her brown eyes as she stomped forward, closing the distance between them. “When the heck is up with all of this wind?!”

She didn’t give Nico that chance to answer as she snatched at the strands of her glossy locks, not yet noticing the violent brawl before her. “Do you see this?! My hair is fucked up, and one of my false _eyelashes_ blew away!” she wailed, gesturing wildly to the eye obviously missing its unnatural volume and length.

Nico opened his mouth, prepared to inform her of the situation until the female demigod looked past him, her eyes only darkening with her irritation. “ _They’re_ the cause of this?! What in Zeus’s name did you do, Nico?”

“This is _your_ fault?” Piper inquired, kaleidoscope eyes shining with accusation and barely contained contempt.

Nico’s hands tightened into fists as he heard one of the two scuffling demigods give a growl pain, though he wasn’t sure which. “Gods, just stop them!”

“You bet your tiny ass I’m gonna stop them!” Drew shouted, stomping over to two sons of the Big Three, only give a loud shriek of anger as she stumbled against the force of the wind, and she reached down, snatching up a torn sandal. “Oh hell no, they broke my _Jimmy Choo’s_!”

Nico’s eyes widened as the daughter of Aphrodite threw the ruined sandal into the tangle of bodies. “Drew, charmspeak won’t work, I’ve already tried!” Piper pointed out as the fuming Asian continued forward determinedly.

“ ** _Stop_**.” Drew’s voice was strong and unwavering, demanding the attention of the raging demigods clashing before them.

Nico’s knees nearly buckled with relief as the two half-bloods finally ceased their fighting, and Drew marched forward, yanking Jason off of the son of Poseidon with surprising strength. She grabbed her sandal from the ground and waved it in Percy’s face her perfectly groomed brows furrowed with anger. “Do you see what you two did to my sandal? These cost seven-hundred and fifty dollars! Do you _have_ seven-fifty to replace these? Do you?!”

Percy winced as Drew threw the sandal down into his lap, and stormed towards Jason, who determinedly looking away, his face marred with bruises and blood, some of the liquid Nico was sure wasn’t only his own. “And _you_ ,” she seethed, waving towards her hair wildly. “Do you see what you did to my hair?! I will—.”

“That’s enough Drew.”

Nico turned at the sound of Chiron’s voice and his shoulders hunched with shame at the angered look on the centaur’s age wrinkled face as he took in the scene of Jason and Percy, both bruised and disheveled, still looking at one another with nothing less than abhorrence in their uniquely colored orbs. “All of you,” the centaur said, turning towards the Big House. “Come with me, _now_.”

Minutes later, he, Piper, Leo, Drew, Percy, and Jason were sitting in the living room of the Big House. Percy and Jason were munching on ambrosia, their gazes occasionally colliding and further stifling the tense atmosphere in the room. Nico had seated himself beside Drew, purposefully on the edge of the couch so that he could escape Piper and Leo’s condemning gazes that hadn’t seemed to leave him since they were escorted to the Big House. Chiron was once again in his wheelchair, his centaur half concealed from sight as he stared down Jason and Percy, his gaze occasionally landing on each demigod in the room.

“I am ashamed of the both of you,” Chiron started sternly, his gaze sliding from the son of Jupiter to the son of Poseidon slowly. “What in Hercules’s name possessed you two to fight outside of the arena and with the intention of harming one another?”

“He started it,” Percy muttered, wincing as his fingers danced over a gradually fading bruise on his jaw due to the godly sustenance, his other hand busying itself with wiping away dried blood.

Jason snorted scathingly, the sound so out of character for him, even the expression in Chiron’s eyes slightly bordered surprise. “Yeah, you can dish it but you can’t take it.”

“Screw you,” Percy snapped in response, his fists clenching dangerously in his lap.

“Same to you too, a—.”

“ _Boys_ ,” Chiron cut in, silencing any further words. “Do you know the damages you’ve caused the camp?”

Both half-bloods remained silent as Chiron began listing off the damages. “The pier was completely ruined, all canoes destroyed. And not only that, but the majority of the strawberries in the strawberry field have been uprooted before harvest, the Pegasus stables nearly collapsed, the volleyball court looks more like the sandy shore of a beach, and the lava on the climbing wall has been extinguished! But that’s that not the end of it; the roof was blown _completely_ off of the cabin of Hebe, meaning when have to relocate those campers until reparations can be completed. And where, pray tell will the children of Hebe be staying?”

Chiron continued before anyone could propose a location. “Well, they can’t stay in the cabin of Artemis, seeing as there are both male and female demigods in need of shelter, and you all know how Artemis feels about males. And they can’t stay in Hera’s cabin; she hates Hebe, despite the fact that she is her own daughter because of her connection to Hercules, Zeus’s illegitimate child, and the fact that she has children out of wedlock. So please, tell me where they will be staying?”

Chiron made a knowing sound in the back of his throat as the room remained silent. “Well they can’t stay in Aphrodite’s cabin, I barely have enough closet space as it is,” Drew stated unabashedly, examining her chipped fingernails with a superior scowl.

“Drew,” Piper scolded.

“Don’t _Drew_ , me. There’s no room in our cabin for them, that’s just the way it is.”

“And there’s no room in the Hephaestus cabin either, we’re packed,” Leo muttered, regretfully. “I mean, I’d love to welcome them into _la casa de Leo_ , but we just don’t have the room.”

“I’m aware. That’s why I’ve decided that they will be staying in the Zeus and Poseidon cabins until the repairs are finished.”

“ _What_?!” Percy exclaimed, sitting up sharply with a grunt of pain. “Chiron you can’t be serious!”

“Why not? There’s more than enough room in your cabin, and Tyson rarely stays at camp anymore seeing that he is occupied at your father’s forges.”

“Isn’t that against… _protocols_ or something?” Percy protested, nodded his head along with his words as he evidently remembered something to support his argument. “It’s disrespectful to the gods, right?”

Chiron’s brows rose, and Nico stiffened as those wise eyes fell upon him despite his attempts to make himself invisible. “Hm, that may be so, but I’ve been informed that a few certain demigods have been spending the nights in one another’s cabins despite the obvious rules in place. Might you be one of those demigods, Mr. Jackson?”

Percy looked away studiously as Chiron turned to look at him. “Chiron, I have nothing against the children of Hebe staying in my cabin, but I only have a bed and a cot, where would they stay?” Jason asked with genuine curiosity and concern, despite his barely contained anger and brewing distress.

“I will be providing them with sleeping supplies, no need to worry.”

Nico worried his lower lip between his teeth as he caught Jason wiping blood from his healing split lower lip, his sky blue eyes never deviating from the centaur. “Now, I demand to know what the cause of this foolery was,” Chiron stated, his tone brokering no room for an argument.

“Nico,” Piper muttered under her breath, and Leo subtly nodded in agreement with a soft, ‘Amen, sister,’ as his only remark.

“What was that Ms. Mclean?” Chiron inquired, his eyes darting from the son of Hephaestus to the head counselor of the cabin of Aphrodite.

“I said Nico was the cause of the fight,” she said louder this time, and Nico squashed the urge to sink further into the couch to escape Chiron’s gaze.

The son of Hades felt Drew stiffening against his side, and Chiron gave her a stern look, halting her words before she had a chance to utter them. “Is this true, Mr. di Angelo?”

Before _Nico_ had a chance to speak, Jason cut across him, his gaze never deviating from the centaur. “He had nothing to do with this, Chiron.”

“Don’t lie for him, Jason,” Nico heard Piper whisper.

Jason shot his ex-girlfriend as blank look. “I’m not sticking up for anyone. He had nothing to do with the fight.”

“But—.”

“Would you just shut up, Piper? You barely even _know_ what went down,” Drew sneered.

“I do believe I asked Nico a question,” Chiron stated interrupting the argument before it could grow any further, his gaze still locked on Nico’s. “So I will ask again, were you the cause of this fight?”

“Yeah,” he murmured softly, his gaze fixed on his trembling fists settled in his lap, his nerves still running wild from watching the two people he cared for immensely duking it out.

“How so?”

“I…” Nico took a deep breath, inwardly scolding himself for his weak behavior when he found himself unable to continue with his line of speech.

“He was under the impression that I had being saying negative things about him—all lies of course—that for reasons unknown, he just so happened to believe. And of course the lies were fed to him by none other that Percy Jackson” Jason cut it once again, his last statement pointed and clipped, and Nico felt the tips of his ears burning with shame at the comment undoubtedly directed towards him and the last portion towards Percy, obviously.

“Lies?” Chiron’s head tipped to the side ever so slightly.

“…They’re personal.”

The centaur nodded his understanding, though he sighed heavily, spreading his hands resolutely. “Obviously, I can’t let the two of you escape this without a penalty; not only would it be unfair, but Mr. D would not be very happy with that.”

It was silent as Chiron let the words sink in. “So what shall it be gentleman? What do think will be a fitting punishment for your acts?”

“Send me back to Camp Jupiter.”

Nico’s head whipped toward the blonde at his casual proposition. “ _What_?” Piper exclaimed, taking the words right from Nico’s mouth.

“Superman, you _can’t_ leave,” Leo stressed, his goofy smile forced as if he were already prepared for Jason suggesting such a thing. “What am I supposed to do without you? It’s like Batman abandoning Robin; it just doesn’t happen. I'm even letting you be Batman for once, if only in this analogy. I mean, you've already claimed one DC superhero, I can't let you claim both. But that's not the point. You _can't_ leave.”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to leave, Jason,” Chiron stated gently, ignoring Leo’s quiet sigh of relief. “With the threat of an unknown kidnapper running around, it would not be safe for you to leave. Especially when they are believed to be targeting children of Apollo and Zeus, despite their descent, be it Greek or Roman.”

“Then send me on a quest to find my sister—to find the missing demigods,” Jason sat up straight in his chair, a wince contorting his features momentarily, and his hand absently moved to his ribs, where Nico speculated a bruise would be.

“Jason you know I can’t do that. We don’t send demigod’s on quests that aren’t issued by the oracle—.”

“Then get me the fuck out of here, because I can’t do this anymore! I _can’t_.”

Most everyone in the room started at Jason’s desperate exclamation and Piper sat up when the Roman jumped out of his seat, pacing the living room like a caged animal. Percy’s eyes followed him cautiously; his arms tensed along the arms of the chair, ready in case the blonde made one wrong move. “Jason, calm down,” Piper said softly.

“Just stop _talking_ to me!” the Roman snapped, his hands delving into his disheveled locks desperately, and he squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to calm his breathing.

The room was silent as the inhabitants watched the distressed son of Jupiter. Slowly, Jason’s eyes cracked open, and he fixed Piper with a remorseful look. “I’m sorry, Pipes. I just…I need a moment.”

And with that, Jason dashed out of the room, and Nico heard the screen door of the Big House slam shut behind him. Nico didn’t even hesitate as he stood, moving to follow after the Roman until he was caught by his wrist, his movement stopped by a certain son of Poseidon. “Where are you going?”

“I need to talk to Jason,” his voice came out more confidently than he thought it would, and felt more than saw Piper stiffen at his declaration.

“You can’t talk to him when he’s like this,” Piper pointed out knowingly, standing from her side of the couch.

“I can at least try—.”

“And honestly, do you think it’d be wise for _you_ to go out there and talk to him?”

“She’s right, Nico. Just let her go,” Percy stated, his thumb running across the back of the younger demigod’s hand and nodding in Piper's direction.

Nico yanked his hand from the son of the sea god’s grip, his upper lip unconsciously curling at the unwanted prickling sensation that ran along his skin, cause goosebumps to rise; not from pleasure, but from repulsion at that moment. “First and foremost, don’t touch me.”

Percy’s brows furrowed at the younger demigod’s frigid tone. “Secondly, I’ll do whatever I please, because no one controls me. So don’t try and tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“No one’s trying to boss you around, Nico,” Piper said in a quiet, patronizing tone that grated the son of Hades’ nerves. “We’re just saying—.”

“I don’t _care_ what you’re saying.” And with that, younger demigod darted from the room before anyone could say anything else to get him to stay.

He didn’t care what anyone else thought about him at that moment, he just needed to be there for Jason for once, to keep him from exploding again. And strangely, he felt as if he was the only person with the ability to stop him from doing so. Nico looked around determinedly, and he stepped down the stairs of the porch, his gaze roaming over his surroundings as he attempted to ignore the obvious damages to the camp. As soon as he stepped off of the last step of the porch, Jason seemingly appeared out of nowhere, looking more calm than he had mere moments ago.

The two demigods watched one another silently for a moment before Jason looked away, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I was on my way back in, you didn’t need to come looking for me.”

“Can we talk?” Nico blurted out, and Jason watched him carefully for a moment before he nodded hesitantly, motioning for the younger demigod to follow him.

Nico followed the blonde, occasionally looking up at him in the hopes of catching some sort of emotion flitting across his handsome features, soiled by dirt and dried blood despite the fact that his wounds were gradually fading because of the ambrosia he consumed. So far, the only semblance of emotion he caught was resolution, and he wasn’t quite sure what to think about that. “What’s up, Nico?” Jason asked softy after a few moments of silence.

Nico bit down on his lower lip for a moment before he spoke. “I’m sorry.”

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but Nico shook his head, cutting off his words. “Just…hear me out. I shouldn’t have believed what Percy said, and I was wrong to doubt you. It’s just…I don’t want you to regret ever, I don’t know, forming a friendship—or whatever it is we have—with me.”

Jason looked up at the insecurity in the boy’s voice, and he sighed softly. “Why is it so hard for you to just trust me?”

“I’ve only trusted a few people in my life before. Most of them are dead, and the bond of trust I have with Hazel is a familial trust. I know it’s stupid—.”

“It’s not. I get what you’re saying, but it always seems like you’re trusting Percy over me. And I understand that you’ve known him longer, and you… _love_ him, but has he honestly proved himself to you more than I have?”

“…Do I really have to answer that?” the boy asked softly, his hands fiddling with the fabric of his jeans nervously.

“No, because you already know that answer.”

The two fell into an uncomfortable silence and Nico looked up once more, his stomach once again twisting with the force of his nerves. “Do you at least forgive me?”

Jason sighed heavily, and he diligently kept his gaze averted from the younger half-blood. “I don’t know, Nico.”

The younger demigod paused in his steps, and the son of Jupiter paused alongside him. His hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. Nico blinked once, subtle surprise on his features nearly drowned out by the unease there. “What do you…what does that mean?”

“Look, I…I just can’t be around you right now. It’s not good for me.”

Nico took a step back at the older teen’s declaration, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. “I’m not saying we can’t be friends anymore…we just can’t be friends _right now_ ,” the blonde said softly, his gaze studiously on the ground.

“What does that _mean_?” Nico asked, inwardly wincing at the nervous tremble in his voice.

“It means that if you need me, I’ll be there for you.”

“And that’s all?”

“…Yeah.”

At that moment, Nico felt as if his heart was in his throat, nearly hindering his ability to speak. “So you won’t talk to me anymore?”

“I mean, I’ll say ‘hi’ to you if I see you around…sometimes,” Jason muttered awkwardly.

“Are you serious?”

Jason nodded, and Nico felt a strange sensation pulse through his chest, a numb feeling settling over his small form. Unwittingly, he had done something he feared doing—he had ultimately lost Jason. And that hurt worse than he ever thought it would. “This will just give us some time to be on our own, and we’ll see where we stand afterwards,” Jason continued, toeing at the dirt below his feet with a slightly soiled tennis shoe.

Nico was finding it harder and harder to stand there quietly like he was okay with what was going on, with was he was hearing. He stared ahead blankly as Jason continued speaking, his words gradually becoming incoherent sounds in his ears. Now, he was ultimately alone. Jason had been the only person he had at the camp, and now he had no one. He was _alone_. What was he supposed to do now, wander aimlessly around camp while Jason enjoyed time with his _real_ friends? Or was he supposed to continue doing what he had done when Jason had been sent to Camp Jupiter—sleeping with Percy until he could barely think about the son of Jupiter?

He didn’t want to do that. And even more, he didn’t want to be alone. But now he was, and he had no one to blame for that but himself.

“—we just need some time apart, and then we can work on things, okay?” Jason finished quietly.

Nico swallowed past the lump in his throat, and his inwardly cursed himself as his vision swam with tears. Gods, he was so sick of crying. Of breaking down and balling up somewhere alone to be miserable and wallow in self pity. But no matter how much he hated it, he couldn’t blink back the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. So he did what he was best at.

He ran away.

Nico turned quickly, making a beeline for his cabin and ignoring Jason’s pleading calls for him to stop, to just listen to him for a moment more. He didn’t want to hear it anymore; he had heard enough. And what made matters worse—stung him even more—was the fact that Jason didn’t even bother to come after him like he would have done in any other situation. When the son of Hades made it to his cabin, he threw open the door, closing it behind him as softly as he could considering his raging emotion at the moment. With a labored sigh he pressed his head up against the doorframe, letting his tears slip down his alabaster cheeks silently, his hand still clenched on the doorknob.

“Little demigod?”

His watery gaze snapped up at the familiar sounding voice, and he whirled around—obviously startled—to see none other than Dionysia standing in the middle of his cabin, a glass of white wine perched in her dainty hand to accompany her soft, beige colored gossamer gown. Her dark brows crinkled with confusion as she took in the half-blood’s state, her light brown eyes falling on his tearstained cheeks with a sympathetic sound as understanding dawned upon her lovely features. “Oh… _Nico_.”

Nico turned away shamefully as the goddess approached him, that mere statement making his lower lip tremble as he forced himself to keep in the piteous sounds that would have fallen past his lips had he been alone. “I-I’m fine.”

“You cannot fool me, young one. I know that look,” the goddess murmured, grasping his shoulders gently as she turned him around to face her, the previous glass of wine that had been balanced between her nimble fingers vanished. “Who has hurt you?”

Nico’s face crumpled with defeat as Dionysia pulled him forward into the comfort of her arms, and he reached up to cover his face with trembling hands as the goddess held him closely, unable to resist the comfort. At that moment, he didn’t care that he was in the company of an immortal—someone demigods were reminded constantly not to break down in front of, despite the immensity of the situation— or _anyone_ for that matter. For once in a long time, he just let himself cry, not even bothering to silence himself from letting his heart wrenching sounds of misery escape his lips.

Dionysia stroked his raven hair gently, carefully lowering their forms to the ground, situating the teen until Nico was settled in her lap. And the demigod couldn’t even find it within himself at that moment to be embarrassed by his position, instead leaning into the comfort she was offering and accepting it graciously.

Nico didn’t know how much time had passed before his tears had dried, and a calming silence fell over the room after his sounds of despair were gradually quieted by the goddess’s soothing words. “I demand to know who reduced my favorite demigod to such a state,” Dionysia stated, lifting her chin a notch with Nico slid from her lap awkwardly, though he didn’t move from her side.

“I…I don’t want to talk about it,” he rasped, ignoring Dionysia’s concerned expression at the sound of his voice.

Dionysia remained silent for a moment, and Nico watched her from beneath his obsidian colored fringe, the goddess’s eyes sharpening seriously as she clasped her hands in her lap. “I do not believe you are grasping the depth of my relationship with you, little one.”

Nico‘s brows rose curiously, and Dionysia continued on, crossing her toned legs over one another elegantly. “You recognize that every god and goddess had something they hold dear to them, be it an animal, or merely an idea, yes?”

The half-blood nodded hesitantly, not quite sure where this was going. Honestly, he just wanted to be alone right now and he needed a drink or two. While he was busy with activities, Chiron had the cleaning harpies wipe his cabin of any, and everything alcohol related. And furthermore, Nico’s various secret stashes of cigarettes were missing much to his dismay. But who better to retain a drink from than the unknown goddess of wine herself?

“You, like those, are my sacred object, I will protect you at all cost, and allow no harm to come to you, my little Nico.”

Nico’s eyes widened at her statement, and at the truth that seemed to ring in her voice, his craving for alcohol momentarily squashed as he felt his tearstained cheeks heat bashfully under the goddess’s fiercely protective gaze. “That’s absolutely ridiculous, Sia.”

The daughter of Dionysus tipped her head to the side slightly, genuine curiosity etched across her ageless features. “Why do you find it to be so?”

“I…” Nico stammered for a moment before he found words, “Because the gods’ sacred objects are usually something that will be around forever.”

“Yes, I am aware of this.”

Nico blinked, slightly dumbfounded by the goddess’ naivety despite her age. “…And I _won’t_ be around forever.”

Dionysia’s wine-stained lips curled into a frown. “Why not?”

“I’m not immortal.”

“Yes, but you are a demigod, meaning you are half god.”

“But I’m also half mortal as well,” Nico explained slowly. “Meaning though I may live longer than mortals due to my godly descent, I’ll still die eventually because of my mortality.”

Dionysia made an astonished sound, her eyes widening. “But…you mustn’t!”

Despite his raging emotions, Nico gave the goddess a small smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes, but it was a smile nonetheless. “I have to, there’s nothing I can do to stop—.”

“I forbid you to die, little Nico,” Dionysia demanded haughtily, straightening against the wall in a stance that demanded obedience.

“I’m afraid I can’t comply with that. It’s not my choice whether I live or die.”

“Then I shall make you immortal.”

Nico’s raven colored brows rose at the goddess’s declaration, and he watched her skeptically as she smoothed down her gossamer gown. “I’m pretty sure only Zeus can make people immortal, you know, with him being the king of the gods and all.”

The goddess deflated at that, a sigh escaping her lips. “But—!”

Nico shook his head, holding up a hand for silence. “This is obviously upsetting you, so we’ll move on to something else.”

Dionysia looked ready to protest, but then she paused, reaching out to wipe a forgotten trail of wetness from the boy’s cheek with a pensive look in her eyes. “Will you tell me what has caused you such pain then?”

The son of Hades sighed heavily, looking down at his hands to distract himself from the pain in his chest. “I really don’t want to talk about—.”

“I will give you two options, little half-blood,” Dionysia drawled with that unfamiliar though musical lilt. “You will either tell me who caused you to hurt so immensely, or I will wreak havoc upon this camp for one demigod’s crimes.”

Nico felt his jaw slacken at the casual way the goddess spoke, the way she didn’t bat a lash at her harsh words. “You’re bluffing.”

“I am not.”

“Your father would kill you.”

“My father would thank me. He would be released from his occupation as camp director if there is no camp for him to direct. So it is your choice, young one.”

Nico wasn’t exactly sure if the goddess was fibbing or not—she was the daughter of Dionysus after all, and his children were usually proved to be a tad bit… _unstable_ due to their father’s ability to make one go mad. And though Dionysia seemed to be stable enough, she still had that demented twinkle in her orbs that made Nico nervous on occasions. He still wasn’t sure _what_ Dionysia was capable of, though he had gotten a slight glimpse of her power that day in the vineyard.

“Fine,” he amended softly, not missing the goddess’s grin of triumph that was worthy of a child of Nike.

Dionysia sat quietly as Nico explained his situation to her, never once cutting in to speak, but listening diligently. Before long, Nico found himself unable to stop speaking, unable to withhold any morsel of information from the goddess. Speaking to Dionysia seemed to lift a weight from his burdened shoulders as he was finally able to reveal his predicament to _someone_. Sure, Drew know some things about his situation, but not all seeing as Nico was still skeptic to reveal too much information to her for fear of what she may divulge by just a slip of the tongue.

But he was unable to hold back with Dionysia, and he found that he trusted her despite her standing as an immortal. Besides, it wasn’t as if she had anyone but her parents and himself to associate with. So why _wouldn’t_ he trust her?

At the end of his tale, Dionysia materialized a bottle of wine and a single glass. “You’re not drinking?” Nico asked curiously, and the goddess snorted, the corner of her lips twitching with amusement.

“I am drinking, young half-blood, but you are not.”

Nico’s lips opened and shut wordlessly for a moment as he watched the goddess bring the generously filled glass of wine to her lips. “H-How come?!”

“My father made me aware that you got alcohol poisoning sometime this week. I will not feed into your bad habits, Nico, especially when it is affecting your health.”

Nico turned from the goddess with a soft growl, and he pulled his knees to his chest, refusing to let Dionysia tease him with every measured sip she took from the glass. “Now, which of these demigods must I rid you of? The son of Poseidon or the son of Zeus?”

The young Italian blinked confusedly for a moment before shaking his head frantically at the all-too serious goddess seating before him. “Jason is a son of Jupiter—.”

“It is one in the same, Nico,” Dionysia pointed out, bringing the glass of white wine back to her lips nonchalantly.

“Whatever, but I don’t need you to rid me of either—.”

“And why not? They are causing you trouble in your life, no?” Dionysia watched the half-blood over the rim of her glass with a single brow raised.

“Yes…I mean _no_. Just…I don’t need you to take care of my problems for me. Besides, the gods would probably pin the blame of the disappearances on you, and you can’t have that.”

Dionysia began to nod in agreement, but she paused in the mid action of lifting her head, her dark brows furrowing. “Just a moment; what are these disappearances you speak of?”

Nico stared at her blankly for a moment before he realized he had yet to relay that information to her. “Someone, who we have yet to identify, has been kidnapping children of Apollo and Zeus in the last month.”

Dionysia was silent for a moment before her brose rose dubiously. “Why would anyone ever even ponder abducting _his_ children?”

Nico rolled his eyes at the implication of her words as well as the dainty curl of the goddess’s wine stained upper lip. “I know you dislike—.”

“Loathe is the appropriate word, young demigod.”

“ _Loathe_ ,” Nico corrected with irritable look in Dionysia’s direction. “I know that you loathe Apollo, but his children aren’t really like him; there are just similarities the same you are like, yet unlike your father.

“Anything born from his loins is just as repulsive as he is to me.”

“How sweet,” Nico commented sarcastically and the goddess smirked at the tone of his voice.

“Continue then, little demigod.”

“Thank you. Well, children of Apollo as well as children of Zeus have gone missing.”

“You have already stated such, Nico.”

The son of Hades blinked. Confusion evident in his dark orbs. “I did.”

“Yes, you did.”

Nico sighed petulantly. “Well whose fault is it that you’re so distracting?”

The demigod watched with a small, reluctant smile as the goddess tipped her head back and laughed, a melodious laugh that warmed his insides, soothing his frayed nerves if only slightly. But what honestly had him confused, was the goddess’s failure to even _address_ the story behind his breakdown. It was strange seeing as she was rather adamant about getting the story out of him, and it was even stranger that the rather outspoken goddess had nothing to say about it.

Was she siding with him?

Well that answer was rather obvious seeing as she self-appointed him as her sacred object, despite his object, meaning she was would _always_ side with him, no matter what he did, which was rather strange to him. He was used to people being against him, not standing with him; all besides Jason, who he really didn’t want to think about right now.

“Shall you carry on with your tale then?” Dionysia inquired, interrupting his train of thought right when he began to felt his mood darken, attempting to drag him further into the pit of despair, forgoing all progress he had made to get out.

“Oh…yeah. We’re not exactly sure who has taken yet, but out of the twelve Olympians, our only suspects are Hermes and Hera.”

Nico rushed on when the goddess opened her mouth to protest, her dark brows furrowed with defensive agitation. “You can’t blame us for suspecting her; you know how she feels about children of Zeus.”

“And rightly so,” Dionysia lifted her chin a notch, her eyes shining with obstinacy. “But that does not explain why she would take children of Apollo.”

The half-blood shrugged. “…Maybe she’s doing it as some sort of revenge in your honor.”

“My honor?”

Nico nodded, and the goddess’s eyes narrowed. “And you proposed this at your little gathering with the centaur and the other half-bloods.”

“Of course not, I promised you that I would keep your existence a secret, didn’t I?”

Dionysia nodded without hesitation, but her wine stained lips perched pensively. “I truly doubt she would do it in my honor, young demigod. It has been eons since my predicament occurred; I am more than likely a fleeting thought that passes her mind from time-to-time.”

“Well, if that’s not it, there’s always the fact that she did try and kill Leto, Apollo and Artemis’s mother, to make sure they would never be born.”

Dionysia waved her hand dismissively. “That was eons ago as well.”

“And yet she still dislikes Apollo and Artemis,” Nico pointed out insistently, determined to make Dionysia see the truth in his words.

“Tell me why you suspect Hermes of the abductions.”

Nico simply sighed at the goddess’s evasive attitude, but continued nonetheless. “Hermes is the god of thievery, which would explain why he would be able to get away with the kidnappings without leaving behind any evidence that it was him behind them. And he’s always been into pranks, so who’s to say he’s not just kidnapping these demigods to play a prank on Zeus and Apollo?”

Dionysia mulled over his words silently, a nude colored fingernail tapping the color of the glass and changing the color of the wine as well as the color of her clothing and nails with each click of her index finger. The goddess finally seemed to settle on a bright red wine, her gossamer gown and nails mirroring the color perfectly. “I can see your point, little demigod,” she murmured pensively, her free hand twirling a strand of her loosely coiled hair around her nimble index finger. “But have you and your centaur camp director as well as the other half-bloods looked into minor gods and goddesses?”

“Not yet, but we’re getting there.”

The goddess nodded resolutely, a slight frown marring her lovely features. “I’m afraid it is time for me to take my leave, young demigod.”

Nico’s breath stuttered in his lungs at Dionysia’s reluctant declaration, a feeling of panic settling in the pit of his stomach. “B-But…do you _have_ to?”

“I’m afraid so.” Dionysia studied his features, her eyes conveying her concern for him, and he could tell he was failing quite miserably at keeping his emotions from his face.

He didn’t want to be alone. Not with his depressing thoughts and no one or nothing to distract him from _him_. He had no alcohol, no cigarettes, and no Jason. He didn’t want Dionysia to leave him; he wasn’t ready to be reminded of his desolation. Sure, he could seek out Drew, but the daughter of Aphrodite had her own friends, and due to her restless nature, she would grow tired of him in less than half-an-hour, he was sure of it.

“You will be alright, little Nico, I am sure of it,” Dionysia leaned over and brushed her lips over his forehead. “You are strong, stronger than most, you just have yet to realize it.”

Before he knew what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around the goddess’s torso, surprising both himself and her as well, but Dionysia didn’t hesitate in wrapping her arms around his small form, her wine scented breath disturbing the obsidian colored strands atop his head. “I don’t want to be alone,” he whispered softly, his rather small hands fisting the fabric of her gown anxiously.

“You are not alone, Nico, you have me.”

“But you’re leaving.”

“I will be back soon,” the goddess promised, her melodic voice attempting to reassure him gently.

Nico shook his head; his eyes squeezed shut against the world. “You won’t be able to get into the camp they’re strengthening the wards around Half-Blood Hill, no one will be able to get in.”

“You forget I am a child of Dionysus.” Nico could hear the smile in the goddess’s voice as she spoke, and he clutched her tighter, not wanting her to leave for even a moment. “The wards will recognize me as my father, and so long as he is able to get into the camp, as will I.”

“I still don’t want you to leave.”

“I understand that, but I must.”

Gently, Dionysia moved the boy’s arms from around her waist, and pressed one last kiss to his forehead. “I shall see you soon, Nico.”

And with that, she was gone, leaving the son of Hades with his thoughts and raging emotions. Nico sat in silence for about twenty minutes after she left, his back pressed against the door as he attempted to ward off his negative thoughts. “I’m okay,” he whispered to himself, his voice trembling with the forced of his emotions as he pulled his legs closer to his small form.

But he wasn’t okay, and he couldn’t believe his own lies for a second no matter how much he wanted to. Despite how much he wished he wasn’t, he was alone, and there wasn’t anything he could do to change that for the time being. The teen made a desperate sound in the back of his throat, fresh tears slipping down his pale cheeks, and he pressed his shaking hands to his eyes, content to just slip back into the pit of his despair, not fighting the pull.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he had a choice in the matter.

** Jason’s POV **

Watching Nico walk away had to be one of the hardest things he had ever done. But watching Nico walk away and not _stopping_ him took first place in that category. And to make matters worse, Jason had _seen_ the tears brewing in the younger teen’s dark orbs, and as much as he wanted to run after the son of Hades, pull him close and promise that he was forgiven, he couldn’t. Not this time around.

Being with Nico, spending so much time with him was making him feel as if he was losing himself. He wasn’t normally one to lose his temper so easily, to be so _negative_ , or to let his emotions rule him. Jason was a levelheaded guy, he was known for his kindness and heroic complex, not for his temper. Despite that, he didn’t feel guilty for getting into a fight with Percy; sure, he felt bad for the damages he caused to the camp, but otherwise, he wasn’t remorseful. And that _wasn’t_ him.

He couldn’t allow Nico to rule his emotions, no matter how alive he felt when he was around the younger teen. Around others, he felt suppressed, and this was something he hadn’t realized until he began to spend more time with the son of Hades, gradually forgetting his expectations as a son of Jupiter, and merely as a former praetor of Camp Jupiter as well as a crucial player in the Giant War. But around Nico, nothing was expected of him. Nico didn’t want anything from him but _himself_. Not himself as Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, former praetor of Camp Jupiter, hero of the Giant War, but as Jason Grace period.

And there was no one else who wanted him like that, who had even gotten to see the other sides of him because they were too content with the side they had always seen; the heroic Jason with no faults. As much as he hated to admit it, _that’s_ why he couldn’t fall in love with Piper completely. She was in love with the side of him she had seen, the few sides she had known; she still had yet to see his ugly sides, but she was so content with who she thought he was, Jason couldn’t ruin it for her by being himself fully and completely.

But why oh _why_ did it have to be the complete opposite with Nico? Why him? Not because of his gender, or because of his baggage, but because he was in love with Percy, and also one of the most indecisive people Jason had ever met. One minute, he was asking for Jason to kiss him while he was _not_ under the influence of the Aphrodisiac, then he was pushing him away, and turning to Percy. And obviously, if his and the son of Poseidon’s fight was anything to go by, he was less than pleased by that fact.

Despite the emotional rollercoaster Nico took him on, on a near day-to-day basis, Jason couldn’t help but be attracted to him. Not just because of his physical appearance, but on an emotional level as well. Sure, Nico wasn’t the kindest to most people, and he made terrible lifestyle choices such as overdrinking as well as smoking, but if you looked past all of that, the younger demigod’s personality was just plainly appealing to him. Nico was sweet, shy, and had a crude sense of humor that Jason thought would never appeal to him, but it did, and he enjoyed his time around the son of Hades more than anything.

That’s why it was so hard for him to let Nico go.

It was quite obvious to everyone that Nico needed him, but what most didn’t know, was that Jason needed the young Italian too. Around Nico, he felt more alive than he had in ages, he felt at ease yet anxious all at once, but not in a bad way, no, in a way that gave him a heady rush. Just one smile from the son of Hades, and he would do _anything_ for him.

He just wished Nico would do the same.

Jason shook his head of those thoughts as he walked back up the steps of the porch, pulling open the screen door and letting it fall closed behind him softly a he made his way back to the living area, where he could hear Drew and Chiron arguing.

“All I’m saying, it that the Aphrodite cabin should be expanded. I mean, I barely have enough room for my clothes, and we seem to get new siblings every month!”

“When the cabin becomes to packed, I will consider making those changes, but until then, you will have to settle with the space that you have,” though the centaur wasn’t outwardly smiling, Jason could find evidence of the smile in his eyes and they way the skin crinkled along the edges.

Drew opened her mouth to continue her argument, but when she caught sight of Jason in the doorway, she paused, her eyes darting past him, undoubtedly looking for the son of Hades. “Where’s Nico?”

Everyone turned to look at the blonde upon Drew’s inquiry, and he studiously averted his gaze, guilt radiating through his chest. But despite that guilt, he had already made up his mind; for the time being, he was done with Nico, and it would stay that way until he could find himself again. “He, uh, he left.”

“Left to _where_?” Drew questioned, her voice dripping with suspicion.

“His cabin.”

Jason looked up at the former counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, and her eyes narrowed as she studied him further, but before she could get another word in, Chiron was motioning for him to retake his seat on the other side of the room, strategically placed away from the son of the sea god. “That is quite alright, the events of the day must have taken a toll on him,” the centaur stated, and Jason looked away as Chiron studied him closely, making him fidget uncomfortably in his seat.

“Yeah, started fights can most certainly be taxing,” the Native American daughter of Aphrodite snorted, making Drew’s head snap in her direction with a flip of glossy hair.

“Piper,” Jason snapped, drawing his ex-girlfriend’s attention before Drew could even get a scathing word in.

Piper took one look at the blonde’s face, and her expression turned slightly sour. “What? I’m just saying—.”

“And I’m saying just drop it, we have more important things to do than play ‘the blame game’.”

“You are correct, Jason,” Chiron said with a nod. “We must come up with a punishment for you and Percy worthy of your… _crimes_.”

“How about we help with reparations around the camp?” Jason suggested, rolling his eyes irritably at the snort that came from the son of Poseidon.

“No offense, but I think taking in the children of Hebe in punishment enough,” Percy looked to the centaur pleadingly. “Can’t that be all?”

“Don’t be like that, Percy,” Piper chastised gently, “What would Annabeth think if she were here to see what you had done?”

That got the son of Poseidon quiet, and after a moment of silence her nodded resolutely though rather reluctantly. “Yeah…okay, we can do the reparation thing.”

“And you both agree to spend at the minimum three hours a day helping out?” Chiron questioned, obviously pleased that the two teens had come to the conclusion without a fight.

Both boys nodded, and Chiron clasped his hands together with finality. “That will be all then. Reparations will begin tomorrow at eight; I suggest you both rest up to save your energy until then. The rest of you are welcome to help out if you please.”

“I don’t think so,” Drew scoffed, holding out her hands and drawing attentions to her chipped fingernails. “I’m due for a manicure.”

“And a pedicure,” she mumbled after looking down at her toes with a pointed look in both Jason and Percy’s directions.

And with that, their impromptu meeting was over, and as Jason was stepping down the stairs of the porch, he felt the presence of someone beside him accompanied by the smell of a sickeningly sweet designer perfume. “What do you need, Drew?” the blonde sighed out, ready to be chew out by the daughter of Aphrodite.

The female demigod merely shrugged, glancing up with a Roman with a look of distaste due to the dried blood as well as mud that still stained his features. “You’re going to walk me to Nico’s cabin.”

“I can’t I have to—.”

“I didn’t ask whether you wanted to or not, I told you that you were going to.”

Jason let out a huff of air through his nose, periodically kicking a pebble as it fell to a stop in front of his feet over and over again. “Drew—.”

“You’ll either come with me willingly, or I’ll use my charmspeak.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair, lover boy,” Drew pointed out, picking a blade of grass from her dark locks with a scowl.

Reluctantly, Jason accepted his temporary roll as Drew’s chauffeur with a nod in the direction of the cabins. The two half-bloods walked in silence for a few moments, and Jason looked over, surprised to see the daughter of Aphrodite looking rather pensive. As Cabin 13 came in sight, Drew looked up at the Roman. All humor vanished from her brown orbs. “I know Nico’s an idiot,” she started softly; tipping her head back with a soft sigh and blinking once, which looked rather strange due to her lack of length on her other eyelid. “But cut him some slack, okay? He’s not all that experienced when it comes to social interactions with genuine _feelings_ involved.”

Jason shook his head solemnly, looking back at the lovely Asian despite the messy state she seemed to be in at the moment. “Drew, I _can’t_ , not anymore—.”

“Just…think about it, please? I know he truly cares for you; he just does a shitty job of showing it.”

Before Jason could even get another word in, Drew broke away from him, her steps picking up as she approached Cabin 13’s door, not even bothering to knock. Against his better judgment, Jason paused to watch, hoping to get a simple _glimpse_ of the son of Hades just to make sure he was alright. The blonde watched with a slight frown as Drew seemed to have some difficulty with getting the door open despite it obviously being unlocked, but after a few insistent pushes, she was able to wedge the door open at least partway. And what Jason heard nearly made him dash over to the cabin himself. Drew’s eyes shown with sympathy at the  soft, heart wrenching sob that slipped past the door and out into the open, and the daughter of Aphrodite squatted down to where the raven haired demigod was evidently situated, reaching out to touch some part of him that was beyond Jason’s sight. “Nico… _honey_.”

Jason turned sharply at the compassion that rang through the female demigod’s smooth voice, quickly walking off to his cabin before he could change his mind and comfort the son of Hades himself. He couldn’t give in no matter how much he wanted to, he needed time away from Nico, and breaking his resolution to coddle the younger demigod would do him no good.

He couldn’t give in. He _wouldn’t_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My angst knows no bounds.  
> OKAY, so.  
> It seems like I'm hating on Piper a little bit in this chapter, and making her really bitchy, but those are not my intentions. She's just a little (or a lot) jealous of the attention that Jason pays to Nico vs the attention he pays to her. She's a little butt-sore right now.  
> Anyway, tell me what you thought of this chapter, I'd really loved to know.  
> Thanks for reading. [ :


	20. Tell Me I'm Your National Anthem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't you ever leave me again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY SORRY SORRYYYYYY.  
> I'm truly sorry for the late update.  
> Between school, and other demanding stuff, I basically made myself sick with stress. \:  
> Despite that, I continued to work in this chapter, and I'm quite happy with the outcome.  
> I rewrote this chapter about three times, and this chapter is MUCH longer than usual.  
> 1) Because I thought after the long wait I put you all through that you deserved as much.  
> 2) A reader, who goes by the name of Hazel, wrote what I like to call a "mini fic" on her take of the smut in chapter 18. [ :  
> So this chapter with be over 22,000 words.  
> Oh dear.  
> ANYWAY.  
> Thanks to my wonderful beta, Wookiecookie, for helping me get my shit together, and to Hazel for taking the time to write a "mini fic", it means a lot.  
> As always, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcomed.  
> E N J O Y. [ ;  
> * The title of this chapter does not belong to me, it is a lyric from Lana Del Ray's "National Anthem. All credit to her. *

** Jason’s POV **

 

“Slap Jack!”

Jason grimaced at Leo’s loud cry as the son of Hephaestus slapped his hand over the rather large pile of cards in the middle of the table covered by a Jack of Spades. “Ha ha, I got it again!” the Latino demigod boasted, swiping up the cards with an impish grin to both Piper and Jason’s displeasure.

“You don’t have to yell ‘Slap Jack’ every time you slap a Jack,” Piper pointed out, blindly flipping a card from her stack into the center of the table to get the game going once more.

“Ah, you’re just mad ‘cuz I’m winning,” Leo bragged, waving around his large stack of cards triumphantly before he too placed a card in the center of the table, his hand jerking forward to slap the deck once more before he realized it was a Queen of Hearts atop Piper’s card.

“I’m almost positive these cards are rigged,” Jason pointed out, inspecting the card he was about to lie down pensively.

The card in his hand glinted as it hit the sun at just the right angle, making the celestial bronze glimmer faintly. “Hey, you cheater! You’re not supposed to look at your cards!” Leo exclaimed, attempting to snatch the card from Jason’s hand and put it down on the deck.

“Hm, maybe he’s right, Valdez,” Piper mused, leaning over to get a better look at the card in Jason’s hand. “You did make these cards after all.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m cheating,” Leo huffed, cradling his hand of cards to his chest petulantly, strategically making sure neither Jason nor Piper got a look at his cards.

“You have to be!” the daughter of the love goddess argued, a slight smile tipping up the corners of her shapely lips. “You’ve known each and _every_ time a Jack was being placed down before we even had the chance to look at the card!”

“She’s right,” Jason agreed with a sly look in Piper’s direction as he slowly began to place his card down.

Before he could even set the card down completely, Leo was slapping the deck, a triumphant smile on his elfish features as he attempted to snatch the stack of cards from Jason’s hand. The blonde pulled back the whole stack, not missing Piper's grin as he did so. “Not so fast, Leo,” he chastised, holding up the other cards in the deck in order to inspect them closely.

 Unlike the Jack in his hand, the other cards seemed to be completely normal, no matter how many times he attempted to get them to gleam in the sunlight. “The cards _are_ rigged!” Piper exclaimed triumphantly, much to Leo’s discontentment.

“Fine, fine, fine, you caught me,” the son of Hephaestus sighed out dejectedly as he snatched what Jason guessed was a mini metal detector from his bicep, the tone of his voice battling with the mischievous grin on his features as he then spread his cards across the table, each of the Jacks glinting with celestial bronze.

“Cheater,” Piper accused teasingly, making Leo’s grin grow further.

“Please, I _still_ win,” the son of Hephaestus pointed out, gathering up his faulty cards with a wiggle of his dark brows.

Piper snorted, handing Leo hers and Jason’s cards after she had removed them from the blonde’s hands. “Yeah, right, you _cheated_. That means the game was complete B.S.”

“Hm, you think? Why don’t we call in the expert on all things victorious,” Leo turned from his two best friends much to Jason’s dismay, his ochre eyes scanning the length of Arts and Craft for a familiar head of light brown locks. “Hey, Nicholas, would you come of here for a sec!”

Jason smiled at the irritated groan Piper gave, and he watched as the Nicholas, son of Nike, waltzed over to their table, head held high. “Oh, you all are playing cards?” his amber eyes glinted with excitement. “Do you need me to determine a victor?”

“Kinda sorta,” Leo conceded, motioning to the cards in his hand. “Alright, so say one… _bamboozled_ —.”

“Cheated,” Piper cut in, attempting to cover her accusation with a cough, making Jason smile spread even further much to her evident delight if the coloring of her cheeks was anything to go by.

Leo rolled his eyes good naturedly. “Okay, so one _cheated_ in a game of cards, does that mean he—I mean _they_ win?

“All is fair in the game of victory,” Nicholas pointed out with a nod, and Piper opened her mouth to protest as Leo began to whoop excitedly.

“That’s not fair,” the daughter of Aphrodite said with a frown.

“You heard the man, ‘all is fair in the game of victory’, right Nicholas?” Leo grinned at the son of Nike as he nodded once more. “That means I won!”

Nicholas’s eerie amber eyes brightened, making it look as if the sun was shining in his orbs. “You are the victor, Leo?”

“You bet your mama’s victorious butt I am!”

Nicholas darted of with a nod, returning mere seconds later with a golden laurel wreath in hand, much to Leo’s delight. “You are now crowned victor of—what were you guys playing?”

“Slap Jack!” Leo declared triumphantly, crossing his arms over his chest with a grin as Nicholas lowered the laurel wreath onto his unruly curls.

“You are now crowned victor of Slap Jack!”

Jason started as the other children of Nike within the Arts and Craft building stopped in their laurel wreath making to cheer loudly for Leo, who was delighting in their sounds. “You hear that beauty Queen and Superman? I’m the _victor_ of Slap Jack. And what does ‘victor’ mean Nicholas?”

Nicholas beamed, seemingly delighted at someone who appeared to be as interested in victory as he was. “A victor is a person who defeats an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition.”

“And what did I just do?”

“Defeated an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition.”

“Bam! I’m a victor,” Leo leaned back into his chair with a grin, his hands clasped before him smugly.

“Okay, okay, we get it,” Jason said with a smile. “All hail Leo, the victor of Slap Jack.”

“Thank you, _Jason_ ,” the son of Hephaestus said pointedly in Piper’s direction as Nicholas walked off, apparently tired of the conversation now that the “victor” had been declared. “This man knows what he’s talking about, unlike _some_ people.”

“Yeah, whatever,” the daughter of Aphrodite grumbled, snatching a card from the grinning Latino in favor of chucking it back at his face. “You still cheated.”

“Hey, you should follow after your boyfriend and be more accepting.”

Jason blinked at that, and Leo’s smile faltered as he realized what he said. But before he could fix his mistake, Piper was speaking. “Jason’s not my boyfriend, he’s Nico’s.”

The blonde inwardly winced at the bitter undertone in his ex-girlfriend’s voice. “Ha, ha, very funny,” he said with a teasing dryness, attempting to keep things lighthearted.

“I was being serious,” Piper stated, looking off to an unknown point emotionlessly.

Leo cleared his throat awkwardly, reaching up to fiddle with the golden laurel wreath atop his dark, curly locks. “Beauty Queen, it was an accident—.”

“I’m not going to talk to you about this,” Jason cut in, his words directed towards the daughter of Aphrodite. “Can’t you just drop it?”

“Yeah, sure. But you know, I’d at least think you’d talk to me before getting together with, Nico—.”

“We’re not together—.”

“That’s not what over half of the camp is saying,” Piper snapped, her hands balling into fists beneath the table. “Considering over a dozen campers saw the two of you kissing.”

Leo gaped, his cards falling out of his hands while he was shuffling them in an attempt to distract himself from the argument he had unwittingly started. “You kissed, Nico?”

“Why does it matter?” Jason nearly growled out, too irritated to even deny what had happened.

Piper’s auburn brows rose dubiously. “Because _he’s_ the one who broke us up.”

“He didn’t break us up, that was all me, so don’t even try to pin that on him.”

Leo slid back into his seat, attempting to make himself invisible as Piper’s face flushed with anger. “Why do you always defend him? After everything he’s done—.”

“Gods, will you just _drop it_?” Jason snapped, pushing his chair back from the table.

“Fine,” Piper bit out, keeping her gaze averted, though her face was pinched with barely constrained anger, masking the pain that Jason knew she was feeling at the moment.

A few moments passed in a tense silence that was filled with Leo awkwardly gathering up his rigged cards, while Jason and Piper diligently kept their gazes averted from one another, completely tensed. Jason caught the son of Hephaestus looked between both of his friends, nervously, as if he and Piper would snap at one another once more.

It wasn’t like Jason had done anything wrong.

He had actually been in high spirits, having finally pushed all thoughts of the son of Hades to the back of his mind. But Piper just _had_ to go and bring him back up. And now he was just itching to dash over to Cabin 13 and hold Nico close, the sounds of that heart wrenching sob echoing throughout his mind and making him tense further.

Gods he was pathetic.

It hadn’t even been an _hour_ since he decided that he would take some time away from the Italian half-blood, and here he was; ready to forego all of his earlier resolution in favor of just _seeing_ Nico. But he couldn’t do that. He had to stay strong, no matter how hard it was for him stay rooted to his spot.

The blonde was drawn from his thoughts as Piper stood, shoving her chair back, her teeth clamped down on her lower lip as she darted from the Arts and Craft edifice without a word. Jason sighed, folding his arms on the tabletop and burying his head in his arms. “Did you really kiss Nico?” Leo asked softly and cautiously as if he were afraid that the question would set off the normally levelheaded blonde.

“Yeah,” Jason mumbled, his voice coming out muffled, and nearly lost in the confines of his arms as he felt his cheeks heating, undoubtedly coloring at the embarrassment of his admission. “Well, he kissed me, but…yeah.”

Leo was silent for a moment, as Jason couldn’t help but fidget in his seat uncomfortably; completely ignorant to how his best friend would take his confession. “You don’t seem very…troubled by that,” the son of Hephaestus pointed out quietly.

“No…”

“How come?”

Jason worried his lower lip between his teeth, his eyes clenching shut as he inwardly battled himself over whether or not he should tell Leo a certain bit of information. Leo _was_ his best friend, but what if he accidently let the morsel of information slip to Piper? But then again, if he couldn’t trust Leo, who _could_ he trust? “You…just don’t tell Piper, okay?”

“Alright,” Leo agreed skeptically, and Jason heard him shuffling apprehensively when Jason remained silent, attempting to harden his resolve. “You’re making me nervous over here, Superman—.”

“It’s not the first time we’ve kissed,” Jason blurted out, his hands tightening on his biceps anxiously.

Jason’s anxiousness only grew when his confession was met with silence, and just when he was ready to burst, Leo spoke again. “Okay.”

“ _Okay_?” Jason questioned dubiously, looking up from the confines of his arms, his golden brows raised uneasily.

“Okay,” Leo repeated with a shrug.

“What…what’s that supposed to mean?” Jason inwardly winced at the slightly desperate tone of his voice.

Leo looked up from shuffling his cards with a slight smile, a single dark brown brow raised teasingly. “You want me to define ‘okay’?”

Jason huffed and shook his head, his blonde fringe tickling his eyelids as his blinked. “No, I want you to…you know what I mean, Leo.”

The son of Hephaestus grinned and nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“So what did you mean by ‘okay’?”

“Holy Hera, you are really reading into my response, huh?” Leo mused.

“ _Leo_.”

“Okay, okay. It honestly doesn’t matter to me who you go for, man. Guy, girl, god, goddess; I really don’t care. Unless you decided to go after _dracaena_ , that’d just be weird, and as your best friend, I’d be required to steer you from that course as soon as possible.”

Jason couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corner of his lips despite that apprehension that still lingered in the back of his mind. “Thanks, Leo.”

The Latino half-blood smiled genuinely. “No problem, but I do have a question.”

“Ask it,” Jason said with a slight nod, lifting his head from his arms and resting his cheek on his fist as he waited patiently.

“So…you really like Nico?”

Jason nearly bit down on his tongue at that. He _really_ hadn’t expected Leo to ask him _that_ ; a question that he wasn’t even sure he knew the answer to. The blonde’s brows pinched as he continued to worry his lower lip between his teeth, oblivious to his best friend’s studious gaze on his form. “I…I don’t really know,” he finally answered, his voice hushed. “I _think_ I do, but…”

“Hey, you don’t have to spill your guts to me if you don’t want to,” Leo assured him, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “I was just wondering.”

Jason nodded, but that didn’t stop his thoughts from drifting off to the son of Hades, not for the first time that day, and certainly not for the last.

Did he really like Nico?

He wasn’t really sure. He liked the way he felt around the younger demigod, the way he was able to relax and be himself. He liked the way Nico felt against his side, _against his lips_ , and though the thoughts made his face heat bashfully, he knew it was the truth. Nico was special to him, no matter how much he may have wished that wasn’t the case. He had feelings for the younger teen that were more than friendly no matter how much he outwardly denied it. He _liked_ Nico, and gods, “liked” seemed so inadequate for the depths of his feelings, but he was pretty sure he didn’t love him, no; he still wasn’t quite sure what love was. But he knew what like was. He liked Nico’s sheepish smiles, liked the way the boy’s cheeks always seemed to be colored a sweet pink color when they were around one another, liked the teen’s crude sense of humor, liked the way he felt in his arms.

He even liked the simple, unnoticeable things. He liked the way Nico’s nose crinkled when he said something that the younger demigod disagreed with. He liked the indention of dimples on the boy’s cheeks that some failed to notice because he rarely smiled. He liked the sound of Nico’s voice after he woke up; he liked his stubbornness when he decided to forgo his obstinacy for a moment even when they were around one another. He liked the indecipherable looks Nico snuck in his direction when he thought he wasn’t looking. He liked the look of Nico in his clothing; liked the warm, earthy scent the boy carried.

Then, it suddenly dawn on his; gods, he really _did_ like Nico di Angelo, more than he had ever liked anyone before.

“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” Leo inquired casually, snatching Jason from his thoughts with a flinch.

Jason cleared his throat and gave his head a quick shake. “What was that?”

“You were thinking about him a second ago, weren’t you?”

“How did you know?” Jason asked sheepishly, averting his gaze when Leo grinned knowingly.

“You get this dreamy, stupid look in your eyes when you do. Especially when you look at him; it looks like you’re fighting the urge to stick your tongue down his throat—.”

“That’s really, _really_ gross, Leo,” Jason cut across, unable to stop a smile from stretching across his lips when the hero across from him laughed.

“It’s the truth though.”

“Hmm, not really.”

Leo grinned, then, his smile gradually faded from his lips, and he looked back down as his cards, his golden laurel wreath sliding forward on his head. “But…are you really sure about him?”

“No, but that doesn’t change my feelings towards him,” Jason said confidently, after a moment of hesitation, his sky blue eyes shining genuinely.

“It just…” Leo paused, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly for a moment, and his ochre eyes darkening with confliction.

“What?” Jason questioned, his head tipping to the side curiously.

Leo bit down on his lower lip and shook his head, inhaling a deep breath through his nose before an uneasy smile spread across his lips. “Nothing, if he makes you happy, I’m happy for you. So, why aren’t you two attached at the hip today?”

Jason frowned for a moment at the abrupt change in topic, but accepting that there were some things that Leo didn’t wish to share with him, just as there were some things he didn’t wish to share with the son of Hephaestus. But that didn’t stop him from wondering what it had to do with Nico. “We’re never attached at the hip,” Jason protested indignantly.

Leo snorted. “Sure you’re not. But you didn’t answer my question, Boy Wonder.”

Jason pushed his blonde locks back from his eyes with a grimace. “We’re… _I_ just needed some time to be on my own.”

Leo nodded his understanding, and much to Jason’s relief, didn’t ask for him to go into detail. “That’s not a bad thing.”

“I know,” Jason paused, noticing how uncomfortable Leo was beginning to look, not because if the topic of the son of Hades, but because of the something he quite obviously didn’t want to share with the son of Jupiter. “Anyway, how are you and Calypso?”

Jason couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of his lips at Leo’s contagious grin at the mention of his girlfriend, and the blonde prepared himself for the Latino demigod’s excited rant about his special someone, and throughout his best friend’s rant, the Roman couldn’t help but think about _his_ someone special, who went by the name of Nico di Angelo.

~*~

Despite Jason’s revelation, a week or so later, he and Nico _still_ had yet to speak to one another. The former praetor and his ex-girlfriend had made up almost immediately after their fight, Piper apologizing for her out-of-line comments, and Jason being Jason forgave her instantly with a bright smile. During that week, Jason could say he was honestly happy; he had missed spending time with his two best friends, who he had unwittingly neglected for weeks upon weeks. He enjoyed having the children of Hebe as cabin mates, and the two blood brothers—Cayden and Callum—made life around his normally quiet cabin, anything but with their endearing quarrels and Callum’s innocent—yet irritating—never ending string of questions. Even his hours spent with reparations alongside the son of Poseidon weren’t bad, though they were tense and very much awkward. And with Nico not constantly at his side, he began to see more of Emilian which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing seeing as he genuinely got along with the son of Aphrodite.

But during that week, Jason couldn’t deny that he missed the son of Hades. He had rarely seen Nico around anymore, and just when he was beginning to believe that the Italian half-blood had gone back to the Underworld, he had seen him, and it had taken everything in him not to go running over to him. The first time he had seen Nico the day after Percy and his fight, the younger demigod had shown up to the dining pavilion for dinner, Drew not far from his side. The daughter of Aphrodite seemed to shield him from everyone’s prying looks, the majority of the campers having caught wind of the rumor of Nico being the cause of Jason and Percy’s fight. Jason had attempted to squash the circulating rumors, of course, but at a camp where war had passed and only the occasional monsters sprang from the woods, incessant chatters were the only source of entertainment around. And it _did_ keep everyone’s mind off of the fact that every day, a new demigod seemed to go missing, not only at their camp, but at Camp Jupiter as well.

It was all Jason could do to keep his mind off of his sister’s disappearance, but at those occasional moments where the Roman found himself alone, he couldn’t keep the dark thoughts from entering his mind, and _those_ were moments when he wanted the son of Hades by his side most. But Jason was sure if he even _wanted_ to speak to Nico—which he did eventually—he wouldn’t be able to get around Drew to do so. The day Jason had first seen Nico, the boy’s eyes were red rimmed and puffy, and Jason’s chest ached at the thought of him crying over what he had said to him, but before he could get another glimpse at the younger teen, Drew was steering him away from his direction, even going as far as to sit with him at his table in the dining pavilion despite the obvious rules in place. Much to Jason’s surprise, Chiron had merely looked the other way when Drew had made herself comfortable at the younger demigod’s table, going to great length to lift his spirits. And if _that_ didn’t surprise Jason, the fact that Mr. D didn’t say a thing about it did.

Though Jason was happy with the way things were going, he couldn’t help but yearn for Nico’s company. Nor could he help but feel guilty over the fact that while he was off in high spirits with his friends, the son of Hades was cooped up in his cabin, still down over “their breakup”, as Leo liked to call it. It most certainly didn’t make him happy that Drew seemed to be going out of her way to keep the two apart, and while he understood why he did so, it most certainly did not mean it pleased him.

“Jay!” Piper called from up ahead, drawing the blonde’s attention to her with inquisitively raised brows. The three had just come from a game from capture the flag, their armors were returned to the armory before they headed off to find something to do as a trio. Seeing as Piper and Leo had been on opposing teams for the game—Jason being on the winning team with Piper—the two had been unable to stop bickering since they had found on which team they were in. “Okay, so, _Leo_ here seems to think that _The Notebook_ is more heart wrenching than _Titanic_.”

“I don’t think, I _know_ ,” the Latino demigod said with a snort.

“Oh, come on! How can you think that? It’s Rose recounting the tale of meeting Jack and falling in love with him, then losing him when the _Titanic_ sank!”

“That whole ‘ _Jack, come back_ ’ thing just doesn’t do it for me, Beauty Queen,” Leo said with a shrug, and Jason couldn’t help but smile as Piper’s jaw slackened before she composed herself.

“And old people dying alongside one another do?”

“Hey!” Leo protested, his dark brows furrowing defensively. “That part almost made me cry; they died together and their love died with them.”

“And Jack and Rose’s didn’t?”

Leo scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. “Please, they were just two silly teens—.”

“Ha, you just contradicted yourself!” Piper cut in triumphantly.

“What? How so?”

“You just said Jack and Rose were two silly teens, but weren’t Noah and Allie the same things?” Piper grinned smugly when Leo realized his mistake and rushed on to fix it.

“Sure they were, but they were in love for _years_ , and how long were Rose and Jack in love? What, like two, three days?”

Piper shook her head indignantly and turned to the rather amused son of Jupiter who was silently watching the argument between his two best friends. “What do _you_ think, Jay?”

Jason unwittingly shrunk back as both of his friends turned to pin him with expectant look, both of their eyes conveying just the amount of trouble he would be in if he didn’t pick _their_ movies. He was damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t. But luckily for him, he had a scapegoat. “Uh, guys, I’ve never seen either movie.”

Both Leo and Piper’s mouths dropped open at that, and Jason couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous that both looked. “If you two don’t close your mouths, I’m pretty sure something will fly in.”

Simultaneously, both teen’s let their mouths shut with a nearly inaudible click of teeth. “Okay, you need to see _Titanic_ , like _now_ ,” Piper decided, reaching out and snagging the blonde’s wrist.

“Hey, he has to watch _The Notebook_ too!”

“Yeah, yeah. You have the movies in your cabin, right Leo?”

“Yep, and I have popcorn,” the son of Hephaestus said with a grin.

“Movie night!” Piper declared excitedly, grinning up at the rather confused Roman.

“This late?” Jason inquired, pausing to look down at the watch strapped to his wrist. “It’s 10:46, curfew is in less than fifteen minutes.”

“Who cares?” Leo retorted with a grin, and before Jason knew what was happening, he was being dragged off in the direction of the Hephaestus cabin.

Jason’s gaze drifted off as Leo and Piper bickered excitedly about which movie he was sure to like more.

“I’m pretty sure I know my ex-boyfriend—.”

“And I’m pretty sure _I_ know my best friend! He’s going to like _The Notebook_ more.”

“You wish; I’m pretty sure he’ll like _Titanic_ best—no you know what? He’ll _love_ it.”

“Keep dreamin’, Beauty Queen—.”

“Nico?” Jason blurted out as the teen in question stumbled out of the shadows, undoubtedly from a shadow travel trip.

Nico’s head snapped up at the sound of his name, his deep brown gaze colliding with Jason’s sky blue one. “Hey,” the younger demigod murmured awkwardly, swiping his drenched locks from his eyes—eyes that mere days ago were clear and bright, but were now dull and tired; the bags under the teen’s eyes only accentuating his obvious exhaustion.

Jason studied the younger demigod, ignoring the way Piper stiffened beside him, her hand unwittingly tightening on his wrist. “What are you doing? And why is your hair wet?”

Before the son of Hades could answer, Drew darted from behind the corner of the cabin of Ares, pouncing on the Italian demigod with a shout. “Got you!”

Leo jumped back as something silver colored gleamed in her hands. “She’s got scissors!”

And before Jason even knew what he was doing, he was darting forward, shaking himself free of Piper’s grasp and snatching the clippers from the daughter of Aphrodite’s grasp. Drew paused in her struggle with Nico, looking down at her empty palm with a frown when she saw that the shears were missing. “What are you doing running around with scissors, Drew?” Jason demanded, holding the cutters above his head when the stunning Asian attempted to snatch them back from him.

“Oh calm down, Prince Charming, I’m not trying to cut your boyfriend,” Drew frowned as Jason continued to hold that scissors above his head, not looking like he was planning on giving them back anytime soon.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Nico mumbled, diligently averting his gaze when all eyes turned on him. “Just let go, Drew.”

“No, you need a haircut, and that’s that!”

“You’re trying to cut his hair?” Jason questioned, confusion evident in his tone. “Why?”

Drew paused in her attempts to get the scissors from Jason’s hand, and she motioned to the son of Hades’ head with raised brows as if the answer to the question was obvious. “He’s got the worse split ends I’ve ever seen, and his hair has grown _way_ too long.”

The daughter of the love goddess had a point. With his hair weighed down by water, Nico’s obsidian colored hair was nearly brushing his shoulders, and his fringe was nearly touching his nose. But Jason didn’t _want_ Nico to have his hair cut, he realized with a frown. And he voiced just that. “I like his hair the way it is, you don’t need to cut it.”

Drew’s lips twitched at his declaration, and Jason swore he saw Nico’s cheeks darkening. “Of course you do, Jason. You’re his boyfriend; you’re supposed to like everything about him.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” both Nico and Jason snapped indignantly, their gazes meeting for a moment before Nico looked away, his eyes focused on the ground as he attempted to school his expression.

Drew studied both half-bloods with a pensive expression that made Jason’s stomach coil uneasily, the look in her brown orbs completely predatory and mischievous. “I’m going to steal Jason for a moment or two.”

“Drew,” Nico hissed, his eyes snapping to the daughter of Aphrodite.

“Quiet you,” Drew reached out to the younger teen her fingers making a snipping motion in his face. “Or I’ll really cut your hair.”

“Actually, Jason, Leo, and I were planning on doing something,” Piper chimed in, “So we’ll just get back to—.”

“I actually wasn’t asking, I was _telling_ you that he was coming with me,” Drew pointed out with her perfectly groomed brows raised in a challenge as she grabbed Jason bicep, making an appreciative cooing noise at the muscle she found there. “Oh sweet Aphrodite; not only are you fucking sexy, but you’re all muscled and stuff as well. Gods, why couldn’t I have you for myself?”

Nico scowled at that. “Would you stop feeling him up?”

“Simmer down, my little sexy monkey, no need to get jealous.”

“I’m _not_ jealous—.”

“Anyway,” Piper cut in sharply, obviously exasperated with the conversation.”Jason, come on—.”

Drew tutted condescendingly, her brown orbs twinkling with amusement as she eyed Piper, then the son of Jupiter, “If you go with her, Jason, I’ll cut off your darling Nico’s hair.”

Jason could barely keep the triumphant smile off of his lips at her declaration. “How? I took your—.”

“Sorry to tell you, but she kinda took them back, Superman,” Leo pointed out, motioning in Drew’s direction.

The blonde blinked in surprise as the Asian demigod waved around the clippers, a triumphant smirk on her lips. “H-How did you…?”

Before Drew had time to answer, Piper made a sound akin to a growl, and when all eyes turned to her, she had the decency to look bashful, though the stubborn gleam didn’t fade from her eyes. “Seriously, can we just go and watch our movie?”

“Oh?” Drew visibly perked at her words, her grip on the scissors loosening. “You guys are watching movies? Which ones?”

“ _The Notebook_ and _Titanic_ ,” Leo piped up, and Drew’s gaze fell on him, her upper lip slightly curled with disgust.

“ _Titanic_? That movie is so…silly.”

“Thank you!” Leo exclaimed, looking as if he wanted to hug the daughter of Aphrodite until he seemed to remember the scissors in her clutched in her hands. “You agree that _The Notebook_ is better then?”

“Duh—,” Drew was cut off as Jason attempted to snatch the scissors from her hand once more, and she jerked her hand back out of the blonde’s reach, opening and snapping the clippers closed forebodingly, much to close to Nico’s hair for the Roman’s liking. “Not so fast, Prince Charming; come with me, or Nico’s hair goes bye-bye.”

Jason sighed, conceding with a nod. “Fine, let’s just—.”

“You’re really going with her?” Piper asked, obviously offended by Jason’s decision.

“It won’t take long, Pipes,” Jason called over his shoulder as Drew began dragging him and Nico in the direction of Cabin 13, inwardly wincing at Drew’s determination to get them away from Piper before she had time to change the blonde’s mind.

“Actually, it more than likely _will_ take a long time,” Drew corrected.

“Jason—!”

“Just let them go, Beauty Queen,” Jason heard Leo murmur reassuringly, and he, himself couldn’t help but be assured by the fact that Leo accepted him, and furthermore accepted his feelings towards Nico.

“Alright, so here’s the deal,” Drew started when the three demigods entered the cabin of Hades, and she finally released her hold on Jason and Nico. “You two are gonna talk, or else you won’t leave. Kapeesh?”

Jason nibbled on his lower lip pensively, inwardly cursing himself for allowing himself to be brought into this situation. He was supposed to be distancing himself from Nico, not having little one-on-one chats with him. “Look, Drew—.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” the daughter of Aphrodite said, pointing her scissors at Jason dangerously. “You two are going to talk, period, point blank. You know you both want to, you’re just too stubborn to make the first move.”

“It’s not that—.”

“Then what is it?” Drew cut across, her brows arching dangerously. “You honestly don’t want to speak with Nico anymore?”

Nico’s gaze snapped up at that and Jason shook his head nearly frantically at the look nervous look in the younger demigod’s eyes that Drew’s words evoked. “Of course I do—.”

“Then I don’t see what the problem is.” Drew retorted, and then paused, immediately turning her scissors towards Nico when she noticed the shadows in the room moving towards his small form. “And don't you even try that shadow travel shit again; you know you’re too tired for that.”

Gradually—almost reluctantly—the shadows moved back to their original positions, and Nico’s gaze seemed to bounce everywhere within the cabin except for the blonde Roman as he kicked off his black high top Converse, a much cleaner pair than Jason was used to seeing. “Did you get new shoes?” he found himself asking before could filter himself; gods, he seemed to recently acquire the habit of blurting things out.

“That’s _not_ what I want you two to talk about!” Drew pointed out, falling down onto one of the spare beds within the cabin with a dramatic groan. “Gods, boys are so difficult. I wish I didn’t like dick so much, otherwise I’d be a fucking lesbian, I swear.”

Jason felt his jaw completely slacken at the girl’s comment, but before he could even fathom getting a response out, Nico beat him to the chase. “ _Drew_!”

“What?” the female demigod inquired innocently, removing the arm that had been thrown over her eyes dramatically.

“We talked about you saying vulgar stuff like that—.”

“No, _you_ talked, and I completely ignored you. Now, will you two get to talking?” Drew pointedly looked in Jason’s direction, as if expecting him to begin the conversation she had forced the two together for.

“How are we supposed to talk while you’re still in here?” Jason questioned when he finally shook himself from the shock that Drew’s words induced.

“Just act like I’m not here,” the daughter of Aphrodite said, smiling brightly and showing off her hot pink lipstick.

“Or, you could leave,” Nico grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“But if I leave you two won’t talk,” Drew stated, sounding as if she was leaving something off in that statement, and Jason caught Nico rolling his eyes.

“You just want to hear what we’re going to say.”

The daughter of the love goddess grinned. “However did you know?”

“If you want us to talk, then get out, Drew,” Nico demanded, pointing towards the door with his raven colored brows rose expectantly.

“But—.”

“ _Now_.”

“Fine,” Drew huffed, standing from the bed and marching towards the door with a pout. “But you have to tell me everything that happened.”

“Just get out,” Nico sighed exasperatedly, but his eyes sharpened as he seemed to remember something. “And _don’t_ stand outside of the door trying to eavesdrop…or the windows.”

“Gods, you two are no fun,” Drew said, snatching open the door petulantly and letting it slam shut loudly behind her.

After she left, the cabin was met by an uncomfortable silence in which Jason shoved his hands into his pockets, attempting to keep his gaze from falling on the son of Hades, but failing miserably. “So…you and Drew seemed to have gotten closer.”

“I guess,” Nico mumbled with a shrug, leaning back against the wall, his gaze trained on the ceiling as his dark, chocolate colored eyes seemed to trace every line and contour in the walls intensely; Jason began to feel inadequate; especially being that the younger half-blood refused to even spare him a glance.

Jason bit down on his lower lip, the awkward tension in the air growing until it was nearly stifling, and he found himself shuffling uncomfortably, a habit he had long ago thought he had grown out of. “She’s a lot to handle then?”

“Mhm.”

The blonde tried for a smile when the younger teen looked in his direction, but soon he realized the son of Hades was merely looking at the wall over his head, and the Roman’s uneasy smile slipped from his handsome features up his realization. “…Okay, well how have you been?”

“Fine.”

Jason inwardly sighed at the boy’s evasive answers, and much to his dismay, a feeling of desperation settled itself in his chest, urging him to tell Nico of his newfound feelings towards him. But how could he do that if the younger teen wouldn’t even talk to him, much less _look_ at him? “Look, we have to talk at some point, don’t we?”

“Not really, you are the one who decided to leave me in the first place.”

The boy’s voice nearly broke on the last words of his statement, and Jason studied the teen’s features—features he was rather fond of—and came to the conclusion that Nico was attempting to cover his emotion with indifference and failing miserably, his lengthy lashes fluttering much more rapidly to be normal, and his jaw working as his lips thinned into a straight line. “I didn’t leave you, Nico.”

“Then what did you do? Because you sure as hell didn’t stay with me.”

The underlying tremble in the younger half-blood’s voice was the only thing that kept Jason from continuing the conversation; yes, Nico appeared to be upset with him, but to the point of tears, as the slight quivering of his lower lip made evident. Jason didn’t think so. There had to be something else on his mind, and the blonde would bear through the boy’s stony treatment to find out what it was. “I just needed some time to myself. I was overwhelmed and in a complete disarray, and I won’t apologize for the decision that I made, because honestly, it helped. And I feel much better than I did a few days ago.”

“So you’ve made yourself better, and then come back with a fresh mind so that I can play ‘mind games’ with you again?” Nico drawled out tensely, a cynical smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes lifting the corners of his lips ever so slightly.

Jason winced as Nico threw words he had spoken some time ago back in his face, but despite the boy’s sharp retort, the older hero was still undeterred from his task, and his determination only doubled at the sight of the son of Hades’ icy mask threatening to fall.

Just a little bit more, and _maybe_ they could have a genuine conversation, despite both of their adversities to having one in the first place. Jason wanted to at least give it a try. Just because he decided he needed a break from the younger hero did not, in any way, mean he was giving up on him, or abandoning him. “Why are you trying to fight with me?” Jason asked, genuinely perplexed. “I thought you would…would have miss me as much as I missed y—.”

“Well I didn’t,” Nico snapped, cutting across the blonde and diverting his gaze. “You decided you didn’t need me, so why should I need you?”

“I never said—.”

“I don’t _care_ what you said.”

Jason shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “Look, if you don’t want to talk, I’ll just leave, okay? I’m trying to make things right between us, Neeks, so why won’t you let me?”

The younger demigod simply kept his gaze averted, and the Roman waited a moment more before he started towards the door, a sense of disappointment settling in his chest and leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. If Nico didn’t want to speak to him, he wasn’t about to force him to do so, despite how much _he_ wished to go back to the way they were before things had gotten so… _difficult_.

“I’m sorry,” Nico blurted out suddenly and Jason found himself drawn from his thoughts his hand pausing midway to the knob of the door, his fingertips brushing over the cool metal briefly before he turned to the son of Hades, whose eyes were wide with…panic?. “I…sorry.”

Before Jason could even speak, Nico was rushing on; his eyes squeezed shut against the world as he pushed himself off from the wall, and the blonde faintly noticed the boy’s hands—hands that he held in his own larger ones more times than he could count—trembling.

“I never wanted you and Percy to fight, okay? I was just being stupid, and I don’t know naïve…and I shouldn’t have believed Percy. I don’t know why I did; I’m an idiot, and _gods_ this whole apology thing isn’t coming out the way I planned.”

Jason watched as the younger half-blood shoved a hand though his damp, dark locks anxiously, his lower lip slightly tinged red from how often he seemed to be worrying his lower lip between teeth. “Nico—.”

“And you don’t have to forgive me, because I know I drive you fucking insane, and you more than likely question your mental stability when you’re around me—and that’s okay, because most everyone does—but I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being an idiot, and being so self centered, and for never taking your feelings into account, but I’ve never really had to do that before, and I know that’s not a good excuse, but it’s true,” Nico took a deep, shaky inhale of breath before he forged ahead. “And I’m sorry that I tried to push you away after we…after the Aphrodisiac thing, but I was scared. Because I’ve never felt like this with anyone before, and it’s fucking scary, so I do stupid stuff because I don’t want to be hurt anymore, and I know you won’t hurt me, but it’s _terrifying_ to think that just a few weeks ago I thought I knew what love was, and I _knew_ that I was in love with Percy, but now, I don’t know anymore. But I do know that I don’t want to lose you, and I probably will because I’m an idiot—.

“Nico—.”

“And it would probably be in your best interest for you to go for someone else, because you deserve better than me. You deserve someone like Piper, or Emilian, because they’re almost as perfect as you are, and I don’t even know what I’m talking about, I probably sound stupid, so I’ll just stop talking—.”

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Jason moved forward, hearing the younger demigod suck in a sharp breath at his close proximity. At this point, Jason wasn’t exactly sure _what_ he was doing, but he did know why he was doing it. For once, his mind wasn’t clouded with doubts of whether Nico was merely playing with his emotions—no, Nico quite obviously had some sort of feelings for him as well. He wasn’t quite sure of the depth of those feelings, but he knew that they were there, just as Nico more than likely suspected Jason felt something towards him as well, or else he wouldn’t have put himself out there like that, just waiting to be rejected, to be hurt.

And the fact that Jason wasn’t blindly stumbling into a situation with the son of Hades only strengthened his resolve, and his met Nico’s wide, imploring gaze confidently, a hand slowly reaching up to make his intentions known as he cupped the younger demigod’s cheek, absently running his thumb across the smooth, alabaster skin he was met with. “I’m going to kiss you,” he started softly, leaning in until the tip of his nose brushed across the younger demigod’s.

Nico gave a slight, resistant shake of his head, though he didn’t attempt to extract himself from the blonde’s hold. “D-Don’t. It’ll only make things more complicated—.”

“Weren’t you the same one who told me, ‘Things are already complicated, what’s a bit more complication?’ about a week ago?”

Nico let his mouth open and shut, drawing Jason’s attention to his lips, then back to his dark orbs. “B-But, I ruined everything and Piper hates me, and for a good reason—.”

“So?” Jason unwittingly had Nico crowded against the wall, their forms so close that he could feel the rapid rising and falling of the younger demigod’s chest.

“You deserve better, you deserve someone like Piper—.”

“I don’t want Piper.”

“Emilian—.”

“I don’t want him either,” Jason paused, and he let his tongue run over his lips apprehensively before he finished his sentence softly. “I want you.”

Pushing aside his insecurities, the Roman leaned forward, the hand on Nico’s cheek sliding into his slightly damp, obsidian colored locks before he closed the minimal distance between them, pressing his lips against the Italian half-blood’s before he had a chance to question him further. No regrets this time around.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico honestly didn’t think _this_ would happen after he had apologized. He had expected to be rebuffed, and if not that, then he expected to be pardoned hesitantly, an awkward silence descending after he had been forgiven. _This_ had been the last thing he had expected to happen, but he couldn’t say he was upset by the outcome. Nico let his eyes fall shut with a soft, shaky exhalation that disappeared in the midst of the kiss.

Jason wanted him.

Wanted _him_. Nico di Angelo. Not Piper McLean, not Emilian stupid-fucking Dragomir, but _him_. Hesitantly, Nico removed his hands from where they had been pressed palm-down against the wall, gripping the fabric of the blonde’s t-shirt nervously at first, as if this was some sort of sick dream he would wake up from if he tried to directly interact with him. His hands tightened when he realized that Jason wasn’t going anywhere, not anytime soon if he had a say in this. The younger demigod stretched up on his toes, pressing his lips to the blonde’s more insistently, attempting to convey his feelings to him without using his words.

His hand tightened around a fistful of fabric. _You’re more special to me than anyone._

A soft appreciative sound as Jason’s finger stroked over his scalp soothingly. _I missed you_.

He pulled the Roman half-blood impossibly closer. _Don’t ever leave me again._

Despite his feelings and emotions being in a state of disarray, Nico knew he wanted this, wanted _Jason_. And he didn’t know where that left his feelings towards Percy. He wasn’t lying when he had said mere weeks ago he was positive that he was in love with the son of Poseidon, that he was the only one he would ever love, and the fact that that love was even spotted by Cupid on strengthened that his certainty of that fact. But now, he found himself questioning that love, and that was a certain son of Jupiter’s fault. Was it even possible to fall out of love so quickly? _Was_ he falling out love with Percy? Though he would never admit it aloud, and it took everything within him to even admit it to himself, it sure felt like he was falling out of love with the son of the sea god. Percy would always hold a certain part of his heart, being that he was his first ever love, but that hold was nearly inconsequential compared to the hold Jason had. Never before had he felt so strongly about a person beside Percy, but the way he felt for Jason outdid the son of the sea god’s by a tenfold, and he wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about that.

How much longer would he allow himself to be a second place in Percy’s mind? But that question wasn’t quite fair considering the son of Poseidon had unwittingly lost his first place position to the former praetor of Camp Jupiter. No matter how much Nico attempted to distract himself during those four days away from the blonde Roman, his thoughts _always_ circled back to Jason. Always.

And during those four days, he realized without a doubt, that he would fall for Jason Grace if he wasn’t careful.

But the question that plagued his mind was whether or not he _wanted_ to be careful. Would it really be such a bad thing to fall for Jason?

Jason’s hand tightened in his dark locks as Nico made a soft sound in the back of his throat, and for once, the younger demigod deepened the kiss, hesitantly at first, and with a confidence he rarely felt. And he knew falling for Jason wouldn’t be a bad or even a hard thing, considering he had unwittingly made the drop a long time ago. And if his speculations were correct, Jason was making the drop right alongside him.

Nico felt his heart speed pick up at the thought of him and Jason being together, as more than friends. Was that really something he was ready for? Something that he wanted? And he decided, yes, it was. The thought of Jason being with anyone besides himself made him feel nauseated and left a bad taste in his mouth. He wanted Jason to be _his_ and only his.

 _Gods, I’m pathetic_ , he thought as he stroked Jason’s tongue with his own, evoking a soft sound from the older demigod. But even his inner berating couldn’t draw him from his happiness even as Jason broke the kiss to press his forehead against his, his warm breath not only warming Nico’s naturally cool skin, but his whole form by his mere presence.

Releasing the tight grip he had on the blonde’s clothing, he stretched up further on his toes, throwing his arms around the Roman and holding him close, Jason closing the nonexistent space between them as he wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist, burying his head in the teen’s dark locks.

“I missed you, you fucking idiot,” Nico stated softly, his voice breaking at the ending of his statement.

“I know—.”

“No, you don’t,” Nico protested, letting his eyes fall shut against the world with a shaky sigh that disturbed Jason’s golden locks. “Don’t you ever leave me again, or I’ll punch you in your stupid face, you hear me?”

Nico felt the Roman demigod smiling against his locks at his declaration, and he faintly felt the corners of his lips twitching. “Never again,” Jason promised, and Nico felt warmth spread throughout his chest that he hadn’t felt in a long, _long_ time.

“Good,” Nico breathed out. “Good…”

The two stayed that way for a moment longer, simply breathing one another in and reveling in the company that they had missed for four days—the company that was unable to be filled by _anyone_ except for the person standing before them at that very moment. Though he was glad— _more_ than glad—to have Jason back by his side, he began to wonder why, no matter what they went through, they were drawn back to one another. They fought, then they made up instantly; it was a perplexing cycle of emotions that almost always ended up with them back together.

“Did…did you mean what you said earlier?” Nico murmured softly, his voice coming out much more timidly than he would have liked, but he couldn’t help himself. He was nervous. He wasn’t quite sure if Jason’s words about wanting him were merely spoken in the heat of the moment without any real emotion behind them, or if they were genuine, and the blonde truly _did_ want him over everyone else.

“About what?” Jason inquired curiously, pulling away from the younger teen in favor of looking down at him with raised, golden blonde brows.

And oh gods, Nico wished he hadn’t done that, because he felt as if he was losing his nerve underneath that intense, azure gaze that was always focused on him completely, and nothing else. “I…I mean, um…”

Nico’s face felt aflame as Jason smiled down at him fondly, a hand reaching up to tap one of his pink-tinted cheeks. “Come one, spit it out, Neeks.”

“Didyoumeanwhatyousaidaboutwantingme?” the younger demigod blurted out in a rush, diligently averting his gaze.

“Huh?”

Nico glanced up to see the blonde’s brows furrowed with confusion, and the younger half-blood took a deep breath, inwardly steeling himself, and reminding himself that if Jason didn’t mean it, life would go on. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if he didn’t mean it. Really. “Did you mean what you said about wanting me?” he inquired sheepishly, peering up at the Roman through his dark lashes, slowly sliding his arms from around the older teen’s neck, mentally preparing himself for the rejection he was sure he would get.

Jason wanting him was just too good to be true. He had to—“Of course I meant it,” the older half-blood declared, the underlying tone of his voice slightly chastising.

Nico looked up at him completely, blinking owlishly. “Huh?”

Jason smiled, and Nico swore he could light up a whole nation with that megawatt grin. “You heard me.”

Nico let himself fall back against the wall with a loud whoosh of air, his chocolate colored eyes conveying his disbelief as he searched for purchase against the wall of the cabin; his sweaty hands only meeting the smooth, black wall paper. “Okay,” he breathed out softly, relief so potent it nearly stole his breath. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Jason questioned skeptically, his golden blonde brows raised in what Nico recognized as apprehension.

Nico nodded wordlessly, and he knew as soon as Jason opened his mouth, he would question him on his own feelings. “I don’t want to put you on the spot here, but, I mean,” Jason nibbled on his lower lip, “How do you—?”

“I want you too,” Nico blurted out, and barely stopped his hand from slapping over his mouth, a mouth that seemed to have a mind of its own around the son of Jupiter. “I mean…I like you, and I want…you,” he finished softly, averting his gaze as his hands clenched against wall.

When he finally found enough nerve to look up, it was into Jason’s smiling face, the blonde hero’s eyes a bright blue that reminded him of a cloudless sky. Jason let loose a long gust of air that slightly disturbed his blonde fringe that had nearly grown into his eyes. But Nico couldn’t quite say he was objective to the somewhat new do. “Good,” Jason responded quietly letting out his own sigh of relief.

“So what does this mean?” Nico asked, slightly anxious, though he truly wanted to know. They had declared their wanting for one another, so where did they go from there? And what did that mean for him and Percy?

“I…I don’t know,” Jason sucked in a sharp breath, looking down at the younger half-blood with a pensive expression, his brows slightly furrowed.

The corner of Nico’s lips tipped down in a frown at the blonde’s conflicted expression. “What?”

Nico couldn’t help the shudder that faintly shook his small frame at the look that Roman gave to him. “I don’t know what we are,” Jason spoke softly, but the underlying tone of his voice held a slight possessiveness that Nico was sure the older hero wasn’t aware of. “But, I know I don’t want you to be with anyone else. Period. Okay?”

Nico tried hard not to let his emotions show on his face at that moment, but despite his efforts, he was sure he failed. He wanted to be with Jason, he truly did, but that would mean giving up Percy in the process, and he didn’t know how he felt about that. Yes, he was pissed at the son of Poseidon for lying to him, and nearly splitting him and the son of Jupiter apart. He wasn’t quite sure what he felt towards him anymore, and that scared him. But what scared him even more was the thought of losing Jason, and he didn’t know what that meant. It was wrong for him to expect Jason to wait forever for him, to wait for him to see where things went with Percy while the Roman was expected to stay alone. He couldn’t ask Jason to stay on his own while he pursued someone else. But did he _really_ want to pursue Percy? To put himself through all of that inevitable heartbreak? Not quite.

He didn’t want to be hurt more than he had been already. And he could confidently say that Jason wouldn’t hurt him; would more than likely do everything in his power not to do so. And Nico wanted to do the same. He was sure of his feelings for Jason, more sure than he had ever been of his feelings for Percy. And that helped him to make his decision.

“I…I can do that,” he whispered, releasing a long, apprehensive breath. “As long as you do the same.

“Of course.” Jason didn’t even skip a beat as he responded, and that only strengthened Nico’s surety, knowing that the blonde truly _did_ want him, even though he had said so. Actions did speak louder than words.

“What does this make us then?”

The corners of the Roman’s lips quirked up, and he gave a half shrug as he idly reached out, pulling the boy’s hand from where it was pressed against the wall and interlocking their fingers. “Jason and Nico.”

“And that means?” Nico retorted with a small snort, his midnight colored brows raised with slight amusement.

“…That we’re trying things out, and we’re going to try and take things slow,” Jason squeezed his hand lightly. “Baby steps.”

“I like that,” the younger demigod conceded with a nod, and he couldn’t help the small smile that lifted the corners of his lips in response to the blonde’s bright beaming.

Jason tugged the younger hero forward, and Nico came without resistance, his face pressed into the blonde’s chest comfortably as the Roman’s free arm around surrounded him, bringing forth that special warmth he thought he would never feel again. Nico strengthened his hold on the older teen’s hand, inhaling his unique scent headily, unabashed when Jason chuckled softly. “For someone who says I smell weird, you sure do sniff me a lot.”

“Shush,” Nico responded with a slight smile, his thumb absently tracing light patterns against the back of the older half-blood’s hand. “I’m just trying to get used to your strange smell so I don’t get any…I don’t know, _headaches_ in the near future.”

“Yeah, right,” Jason retorted, pressing a gentle kiss to Nico’s forehead and making the younger demigod flush a bright pink color as he looked up sheepishly. “All better?”

Nico took a deep breath as he shook his head, steeling his nerves as reached up, tapping his lips with his index finger. “Nope, try here instead,” he whispered, and though his face was aflame with heat, he kept his eyes on Jason’s never backing down.

And much to the blonde’s credit, he didn’t so much as question the boy’s moment of confidence as he ducked his head, pressing their lips together firmly. Their lips slotted together like missing links of a puzzle piece, and Nico swore he had never been so comfortable with someone outside of Bianca and Hazel before in his life.

Kissing Jason was like a natural high. It was better than any kind of alcohol he could drink, cigarettes he could smoke, or drugs he could take. The taste of the former praetor was quickly becoming addictive, and Nico swore he would never get enough, no matter how many times they may lock lips.

And all thoughts of anything but the blonde before him were pushed out of his mind. Percy and his dilemma with him ceased to exist, his insecurities about being what Jason truly needed and wanted dwindled until they were nothing but a faint buzz in the back of his mind, and all other insignificant things vanished as their lips moved against one another’s, their warm breaths mingling and fogging up their minds as the once chaste kiss grew to something more, something they had both been afraid of pursuing until that very moment.

Nico released Jason’s hand in favor of reaching up and tangling his fingers in the choppy, uneven locks that were slowly but surely growing back after the blonde’s failed attempt at giving himself a haircut. The younger demigod pulled the Roman’s closer, pressing their lips more firmly together before the kiss deepened, their tongues tangling passionately.

Jason pulled the younger half-blood closer, nearly bringing him clear off of his feet, and in return, Nico wrapped both arms around the blonde’s neck, hoisting himself up and wrapping his legs around the Roman’s torso, too caught up in the heat of the moment to be embarrassed by his actions. Nico made a whimpering sound of negation as the former praetor broke the kiss, but he was soon satisfied as the blonde ducked his head, trailing suckling kisses along the teen’s neck, leaving a trace of goosebumps in his wake. Without even a second of hesitation, Nico twisted his head to the side, giving the blonde more room to continue his trail of burning kisses along his overheated alabaster skin. The younger of the two unwittingly let a soft mewling sound bubble out over his lips as the blonde gently, but firmly suckled on a rather sensitive spot beneath his ear, making his loose grip around his neck tighten unwittingly.

Nico was unable to help the needy sound that spilled out over when the blonde nipped the spot he had been quite attentive to with his teeth, then pressed a light, openmouthed kiss over it, as if apologizing for the fleeting stinging sensation he had left behind. “J-Jace,” the younger demigod breathed out as the Roman began trailing kisses along length of his jaw.

“Hm?” Jason hummed, dropping suckling kisses along the boy’s skin.

“Gods, y-you’re killing me,” he murmured in response, unconscious of the words that left his lips as he tugged the older demigod by his golden blonde locks, pushing their lips together firmly, his legs tightening around the Roman’s torso, oblivious of his burgeoning arousal pressing against the older demigod’s stomach.

Jason made a soft, startled sound as Nico unwittingly rolled his hips, absently seeking friction but simultaneously rubbing his backside against the blonde’s semi erect length. Nico barely noticed when Jason blindly stumbled towards his bed, nearly stumbling over the array of things strewn over the cool hardwood, pausing to toe hastily toe off his shoes before he settled—more like _fell_ —onto the bed barely refraining from squashing the younger demigod beneath him.

Nico made a somewhat startled sound as his back hit the mattress, his small form bouncing slightly, though he never released his hold on the Roman in the process. He constricted his legs around the blonde, pulling him more firmly into the apex of his thighs and unintentionally pressing their clothed, erect lengths together, and rousing slightly different sounds of bliss from both of their mouths which were still melded in a rather fevered kiss. “Neeks,” Jason murmured from between passionate kiss, and Nico could feel his heart racing against his chest from how closely pressed together they were. “How…how far are we taking this?”

Jason hovered over the smaller demigod, and Nico stared up into his cerulean orbs boldly, despite the flush that was currently darkening his alabaster cheeks as they finally parted from their kiss. Nico bit down on his kiss bruised lower lip hesitantly, and Jason’s hands tightened on his waist slightly, his fingers running across the overheated skin almost reverently. Carefully, with trembling fingers, Nico reached for the hem of his black t-shirt, his gaze never deviating from the Roman’s all the while, not bothering to answer his question with words, but with actions.

He wasn’t sure _why_ he was so nervous about stripping in front of Jason; after all, it wasn’t as if it was his first time being shirtless around the blonde while doing things like this—or his first time with _anyone_. Despite that, he couldn’t slow his racing heart as he slowly drew his t-shirt up over his lower stomach, waiting for Jason stop him, to tell him that it wasn’t a good idea. But Jason didn’t stop him; he merely ran the pads of his thumbs over the contours of the boy’s hips lightly, sending pleasurable tingles up the younger demigod’s spine. Nico’s breathing was coming out slightly labored as he gradually lifted his shirt up over his abdominals, his teeth pressing down harder on his lower lip anxiously. _Now_ he realized why he was so nervous about this. This was his first time doing something like this with Jason of his own freewill, without the effects of the Aphrodisiac pushing him to purse the blonde in ways he never thought he would. And in addition to that, this was _Jason_ , the closest person to perfection he had ever met in his life—and that was saying something seeing as he had more gods and goddesses than some demigods would ever meet in their lives. He wanted to live up to whatever standards the blonde had, and didn’t want to disappoint him in any way possible.

With his heart racing in his chest, Nico finally pulled his shirt off, his flush spreading down his neck and most likely to his collarbone as well as Jason’s intense gaze ran over his bare upper body, his thumbs only pausing in their strokes once the article of clothing once it was removed. Nico fought the urge to cross his arms over his chest as the Roman’s gaze roamed over his form, slowly. The son of Hades knew he wasn’t much to look at, he was too skinny, and small for his new age of seventeen. He wasn’t much of a looker, unlike Jason. Nico had _seen_ Jason shirtless, and it had taken everything in him to tear his eyes away from the sight of older teen’s muscled, sun kissed form. Honestly, in Nico’s opinion, it should have been illegal for a simple teenager to have such a visage at the mere age of seventeen, the Roman having yet to have a glimpse of eighteen, the supposed age of adulthood.

Nico was drawn from his thoughts as well as insecurities as a soft kiss was pressed to the tip of his nose. Jason wore a soft reassuring smile as Nico’s arms twitched towards his bare torso, still resisting the urge to cover himself. “You’re perfect,” Jason murmured gently.

Nico blinked in response, barely stopping a snort when it attempted to come out. “You don’t have to lie to make me feel better,” he mumbled softly, averting his gaze, no longer able to handle the intensity in the older half-blood’s eyes.

“I’m serious,” Jason insisted.

“Okay, whatever.”

“You’re perfect to me,” the Roman muttered softly, and Nico’s gaze shot back to the blonde, but this time, Jason had his gaze averted as his the sun kissed skin of his cheeks colored a soft pink color, surprising the younger demigod.

“Right back at you,” Nico retorted, trying for a teasing tone, but failing when his voice came out shaky and unsteady.

Jason stared at him, and Nico stared back, his gaze unwavering as the corners of the blonde’s lips twitched faintly. “We’re such dorks.”

Nico couldn’t help the smile that spread across his own lips at the very true statement that fell from the former praetor’s kiss bruised lips. “I couldn’t disagree with you if I tried. But I think you’re a bigger dork than I am, Jace.”

Jason’s brows rose teasingly at that, and his expression changed to one of mock offense. “Me, a bigger dork than you? I don’t think so.”

Nico nodded, peering up at the blonde challengingly. “You are.”

“You’re hurting my feelings over here, Neeks.”

“Man up.”

“If you don’t stop…I’ll…” Jason trailed off, his golden blonde brows furrowed pensively as he evidently tried to find a punishment that would be worthy of the crime.

“What? You’ll _what_?” Nico grinned triumphantly as Jason remained silent. “I thought so—.”

The younger teen couldn’t help the startled squeal that feel from his lips as the Roman half-blood began showering both his face and neck with chaste, teasing kisses. “J-Jason, stop!” Nico couldn’t help the delighted laugh that erupted as Jason nipped at his neck teasingly before continuing with his shower of kisses.

“Never,” the blonde murmured determinedly, and when he pulled back slightly, Nico caught his sky blue eyes gleaming with mirth as he dove back in to continue his barrage of kisses.

Nico’s laughter was immediately cut off moments later as Jason dropped an open-mouthed kiss to his neck, drawing a sharp intake of breath from the younger demigod whose skin suddenly became flushed with a heat that pooled in his lower belly in pleasure. Nico’s hands reached up, fisting the fabric of the t-shirt the blonde had yet to remove when the Roman began suckling on an arbitrary spot of his skin, and the younger teen was unable to help the soft, though audible inhalation of breath his took when Jason’s tongue darted out briefly, tasting his skin. Nico was automatically made aware of his erection, which was still confined in his dark colored jeans that were rapidly growing tighter with each second that passed. Unwittingly, he gasped as Jason squirmed between his legs, more than likely trying to get comfortable without completely putting all of his weight on the younger demigod. When the blonde realized what he was doing, he had the good graces to look bashful, but his expression slowly morphed into one of pensiveness, laced with apprehension. Before Nico could ask him what the matter was, the Roman gave a torturously slow roll of his hips, causing both half-bloods to make differing sounds of pleasure.

“J-Jason…what are you doing?” Nico hissed out, reaching up to snag the fabric of the older demigod’s t-shirt as he continued to rotate his hips, his own arousal pressed against the younger teen’s and making him flush not only with embarrassment, but pleasure.

“Dunno, but it feels really good,” the older demigod breathed out with another roll of his hips, and Nico bit down on his lower lip harshly, attempting to hinder any other sounds that may spill out over his kiss swollen lips.

Against his better judgment, Nico tightened his legs around the blonde’s torso, pulling their lower halves together more firmly, and propping himself up on elbows in favor of locking lips with the blonde. Nico made muffled whimpering sound against the Roman lips as his bare chest brushed against Jason’s t-shirt, stimulating his nipples, making him shudder involuntarily. And though the fabric did feel good against his chest, that’s not what he wanted to feel. He wanted to feel the blonde’s skin against his own, warming him and comforting him.

“Wanna touch you,” he whispered between soft gasps of air and between kisses, his hips bucking up into every roll of the blonde’s hips, seeking the friction he so desperately needed to find his release.

Jason nodded his head, breaking the kiss breathlessly. Nico’s hands were scrambling down to the hem of his t-shirt and clumsily pulling at the fabric, attempting to remove it from the Roman’s person without breaking their close proximity. “Nico,” Jason murmured softly, a hint of a smile in his voice as he pulled back, reaching for the hem of his t-shirt.

Nico whined in negation at the loss of the blonde’s warmth, and he unconsciously poked out his lower lip, making Jason chuckle huskily as he caught sight of the younger half-blood’s petulant expression. “Don’t make that face at me,” he chastised teasingly, and at that moment, with his smooth, rough voice resounding in his ears, Nico was unable to bite out a retort, too busy ogling the half naked son of Jupiter before him and simultaneously forcing himself not to cream his pants at the…fucking _mouthwatering_ sight before him.

Compared to Jason…no, there _was_ no comparing him to Jason. Jason was _perfect_ , the complete opposite of him. While Nico was short and wiry, Jason was tall and rather muscled from his years of intensive training at Camp Jupiter. The Roman was bright and friendly while Nico was dark and…rather unapproachable. And as much as he had wanted to remove Jason of his clothing a few moments ago, he was beginning to question his decision, feeling rather insecure next to all of that… _sexy_. Gods, Jason could put a garbage bag and cover his face with a paper brown sac and Nico would _still_ feel unseemly standing next to him.

“Hey, you okay?” Jason’s soothing voice dragged him from his thoughts, and he startled slightly to see the Roman hovering back over him after he had removed his article of clothing, his brows furrowed with slight concern as Nico squirmed uncomfortably and not-so-subtly beneath him.

Giving up on moving more than a centimeter, Nico pressed his hands over his face as he felt his face with slightly with discomfort. “Nico—?”

“Gods, why do you have to be so…fucking perfect?” the younger of the two blurted out in a grumble, and behind his hands, his cheeks darkened to a hot pink color.

Jason made a soft indignant sound that had Nico rolling his eyes. Of _course_ he would deny it. That was just a part of being perfect; never acknowledging that you actually were, though everyone around you knew, and told you that you were. “I’m not—.”

“Oh, shut up. Don’t even try and deny it, you’re like a blonde Superman…except better looking.”

Nico scowled behind his hands at Jason’s quiet laugh, and he felt his sour expression begin to falter as the blonde pressed his lips against the back of one of his hands. “Okay, so…your words are rather sweet, and quite complimenting, but the tone of your voice is saying I should be insulted. So which do you want me to be?”

Nico made a halfhearted growling noise in the back of his throat, ignoring the sound of amusement he roused from the former praetor of Camp Jupiter. “I…I don’t know! Why are you asking me?!”

“Because _you’re_ the one who said it,” Nico could hear the laughter in the blonde’s voice, and he let Jason remove his hands from his face without a struggle, revealing his bitter glare.

“Stop laughing at me, you prick,” he mumbled ill-temperedly, and much to his annoyance, Jason began laughing in earnest, pressing his face into the crook of the boy’s to muffle his laughter.

Nico pushed at the blonde’s warm chest irritably. “If you’re going to tease me, get out. You’re so annoying.”

“No, no, no. I’m sorry,” Jason huffed between his sporadic laughter.

“No you’re not, you’re a—.”

Jason moved his head from the crook of the boy’s neck, leaning down and quickly capturing his lips without his own before he had time to spout out one of his rather creative curses. Nico tensed, and his hands curled into fists stubbornly against Jason’s chest, but with some slight coaxing from the blonde, the younger demigod was returning the kiss, his lips moving against the Roman’s, and his irritation dwindling until it was nothing but background noise in his mind.

That was until he felt the blonde’s triumphant smile against his lips.

Nico made an irritated sound in the back of his throat, his hands loosening from the fists they had previously tightened into, and he pressed the flats of his hands against Jason’s chest, pushing him back grumpily. “You…you can’t just… _kiss me_ to shut me up!”

“And why not?” Jason inquired with a mock seriousness, his golden blonde brows creased curiously.

“B-Because it won’t work!”

Jason reached out, capturing a lock of the boy’s hair before he had a chance to move, and he twirled the strands around his forefinger with a slight smile. “It seemed to work quite well a few moments ago.”

Nico swatted the blonde’s hand away with a soft growl, and he crossed his arms over his bare chest, his lower lip poking out petulantly as he averted his gaze. “Yeah…whatever.”

Jason studied the younger demigod silently, and though he wasn’t meeting that intense, sky blue gaze, Nico couldn’t help but squirm uncomfortably. Just when he was ready to snap, the son of Jupiter leaned down, pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Don’t be mad at me.”

Nico couldn’t help the shudder that rolled through his small frame as those lips moved against his rapidly overheating skin with every word the former praetor spoke. With a soft sigh of defeat, he turned his head slightly, his nose butting the Roman’s lightly.

He honestly didn’t have a reason to be mad at the blonde. It wasn’t as if it was his fault he was so perfect, and he, himself was so… _not_. He had no right to be taking out his frustrations at himself at the Roman. Besides…Jason _had_ said he was perfect to him…

“I’m not mad,” he murmured, peering up at the older hero through his obsidian colored lashes, and before Jason could respond, he was pressing their lips together, reveling in the soft blissful sound Jason made.

And before long, the two’s fervor soared to new heights, Nico’s skin practically itching for the more than the innocent touches Jason was trailing across his heated skin. He wanted _more_ than the roll of the blonde’s hips against the apex of his thighs, _more_ than those sinful kisses that were trailed across his flushed skin.

Deep inside, shoved in a small box in the far corner of the boy’s mind, Nico _wanted_ to have sex with Jason, to go all the way with him. He not only wanted to feel the blonde’s hands moving along his smaller frame, making him shudder pleasurably, but he wanted Jason _inside of him_. The need for the Roman was pulsing through his veins, barely restraining him from pouncing like an animal in heat. And he blamed _that_ on the remainders of the Aphrodisiac inside of him. But no matter how much he wanted Jason, he didn’t want to pressure him into giving up his virginity—something he held very dearly to him. He didn’t want Jason to regret his first time like he had found himself doing on multiple occasions, wishing he had been more sensible and had not let his feelings cloud his better judgment, cheapening his first experience forever. He wanted Jason’s first time to be special, even if it wasn’t with him, though he truly hoped it was, no matter how much the thought brought heat to his cheeks.

So he refrained from asking the blonde to go any further then they might already be going, despite his want for more. “Too tight,” he murmured breathlessly, reaching for the button on his jeans to relieve some of the pressure against his erection.

But before his fingertips could even brush the cool metal of the button, Jason’s hands were there, and Nico’s breath caught in his throat as the blonde’s fingers unwittingly brushed across the bulge confined by his jeans. “Let me,” Jason whispered throatily, peering down at the younger demigod imploringly.

And who was Nico to deny him the pleasure of removing his clothing?

The son of Hades nodded his head, swallowing around the lump that seemed to have lodged itself in his throat an unknown time ago. The blonde’s hands fumbled with the button for a moment, then finally, he unclasped the button, and Nico, who had only sought to relieve some of the pressure of his erection, was quite surprised with Jason began tugging down his jeans. And on impulse, he reached down, stopping his hands from making any further progress. “We don’t have to,” Nico spoke softly, searching the blonde’s cerulean orbs, and ignoring the voice in his head that told him to quiet down and let the Roman continue with his earlier ministrations. “If you’re not ready—.”

“I want to,” Jason cut it confidently, leaning down to peck the boy’s lips lightly. “I’m not ready to…got all the way yet, but I…I’m ready for everything else.”

Nico studied the son of Jupiter closely, searching for the slightest sign of hesitance or reluctance that would get him to stop right in his tracks, despite how much he wanted the blonde. But, much to his surprise, he found none. Jason really did want this, wanted whatever it was they were going to do, and when Nico met the Roman’s gaze, he felt his throat begin to close up at the sheer _trust_ he found there. A trust he more than likely did not deserve. “Okay,” he rasped, giving the blonde’s hands a light squeeze before he inched his hands away, letting Jason continue his earlier actions.

The younger hero bite down of his lower lip, stifling a moan that attempted to slip free when the knuckles of Jason’s hands brushed over the head of his cock, making it twitch within the confines of his boxers at the unintentional attention. Much to Nico’s mortification, Jason seemed to notice the slight movement of his member, and with a quick glance of, he curiously trailed his forefinger over the head, making a fascinated sound when both Nico and his length jerked at his touch. Jason’s gaze roved over the bulge in his boxers, and Nico felt his face flush with embarrassment at how closely he was being studied. In an attempt to get the blonde’s attention back to the task at hand, he wiggled his legs slightly to remind him that he was still donning his constricting jeans.

That seemed to snap Jason back to attention, and he continued to tug down the younger demigod’s jeans, not even bothering to look abashed at his earlier action, that were quite intentional compared to the accidental touched he had brushed across the boy’s boxers. Once Nico was free of his jeans and they were carefully placed onto the floor beside the bed—he was even sure Jason had folded them if the careful sound of rustling denim was anything to go by—he reached for the button of Jason’s jeans, pausing when the blonde frowned down at him. “Can’t that wait? I wanted to…” he motioned towards the tent in the younger demigod’s boxers, and Nico felt his face heat up, and his cheeks undoubtedly color at that eager look in the blonde’s eyes brought on by his curiosity. And it occurred to him then, that not only was he the first person Jason had ever gone this far with, but he was the first _guy_ as well.

“In a second,” Nico muttered, inwardly berating himself for the way his voice rasped as he unclasped the button on the older teen’s whitewashed jeans, tugging them down his lower half with slight trouble because of the way the two were positioned, Jason slightly hovering over him.

With a quiet growl of irritation that he could tell amused the Roman; Nico used his bare feet to shove the jeans down to the older demigod’s ankles, where Jason kicked them off from there. And immediately afterwards, Jason was pulling back until he was resting on his folded legs, looking like a child ready to play with his favorite toy. And much to Nico’s embarrassment, that toy just so happened to be his dick. Yeah, awkward.

“Can I do it now?” Jason inquired, his gaze flicking up to the raven haired demigod for a moment before it fell back onto the tent in his boxers. “Please?”

“You don’t have to beg,” Nico mumbled. His cheeks tinted a bright red color, not only from his embarrassment, but from a desire for what was soon to come.

“So can I?”

The younger demigod motioned to the bulge in his underwear ineptly, trying to look nonchalant but failing miserably. “Go ahead, knock yourself out.”

Nico caught a slight smile on the blonde’s handsome features as he reached out, his hand pausing midway as he was evidently deciding what to do first. Nico had to stop himself from squirming underneath the Roman’s attentive gaze as he eyed the tent in his pants critically, as if it were as important as a battle strategy for an upcoming war. Finally, he reached out, evidently deciding what it was he wanted to do, and he grasped the younger demigod’s length through his article of clothing, making him gasp and arch into the touch.

Honestly, Nico had expected Jason to start with simple touches, not to grab his junk in one go! But he had consented to this, and he couldn’t act as if this wasn’t something he wanted. And he wanted Jason’s touch more than anything at the moment. “—see it?”

Nico blinked, still reeling at the pleasure that shot through his core at Jason’s touch. “Huh?”

“I said, can I see it?” Jason’s head was slightly tilted to the side in a puppyish manner, making him look more innocent than anyone with his face and body should look.

The younger demigod’s lips parted in surprise at the guiltless question. “W-Why?”

“Because it’s no fun touching it like this. And besides…yours is the only one I’ve ever really seen before,” Jason pursed his lips, and Nico caught a light pink color tinting his sun kissed cheeks. “Besides mine.”

Nico swallowed with some difficulty as he nodded, reaching for the waistband of his boxers, purposefully not addressing the wet spot that was caused by the precum leaking from his member steadily. Jason’s eyes were on him the whole time as he removed the constricting article of clothing, his erect cock springing free and smacking against his midsection with an embarrassing slapping sound that only caused the younger demigod’s cheeks to darken further. He diligently averted his gaze as he tossed aside his boxers, ignoring Jason’s reprimanding grunt at the fact that he didn’t take care in putting it aside neatly. “T-There,” he whispered, nervously folding his arms over his chest to try and ease his anxiousness.

Gods, being naked around _Percy_ didn’t make him this nervous, and the son of Poseidon was supposed to be the love of his life. But with Jason, not only was it nerve-wracking, it was exhilarating and it gave him a rush that he wished he could feel at all times. Being as he was too enraptured by the sight before him, Jason didn’t answer, opting instead to not only study Nico’s member, but the boy’s whole body. From head-to-fucking-toe; and Nico swore he was flushing with embarrassment right down to the tip of his big toe. “Would you stop staring?” he grumbled almost sulkily, drumming his fingers along his bicep as his nerves grew, making his fingers and toes twitch uncomfortably.

“I can’t help it.” Jason smiled teasingly at him, “I mean…why do you have to be so fucking perfect?”

Nico snorted. His face aflame as Jason repeated the words he had previously spoken to him. “I’m not—.”

“Yes you are.”

Nico looked up at the blonde, rolling his eyes with a barely there smile. “I was _going_ to say, before I was rudely interrupted, that I was not going to argue with you about it.”

Jason blinked at that, surprise evident on his features, and Nico couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his lips. “You’re not going to argue with me?”

“Nope.”

“Huh…well, there is a first time for everything.”

“Whatever, you—,” Nico was cut off by a pleasured cry of his own as Jason grasped his member unhindered, his blonde brows raised as he gave a soft hum of fascination.

“Well, that worked better than I expected it to.”

Nico opened his mouth to respond, attempting to find words that seemed to be escaping him at the moment. Before he could even make a sound, Jason was thumbing over the head of his cock, smearing around the precum that was gradually sliding down his length. Nico slapped a hand over his mouth, determined not to make another sound as the blonde focused his attention on the slit of his member, unintentionally making more precum spurt out.

Nico couldn’t help the low keening sound that spilled from his lips as the blonde’s free hand moved down, grasping the length of his member lightly, and his grip tightening experimentally every so often. And despite how hard Nico tried to keep himself from doing so, rather unsurprisingly the boy’s slim hips bucked up into the warmth of the Roman’s hand, his face twisted to the side and buried within the fluffy confines of a pillow, his continuous sounds of pleasure muffled by the cushion.

Jason made a soft, interested sound in the back of his throat, merely spreading the substance around the head of the younger demigod’s member as more precum spilled out, never deviating from his task of… _exploring_ …? Five minutes. Five minutes was all Nico could take of the blonde’s probing hands before he surged up, passion surging through his core and he threw his arms around the unsuspecting Roman’s neck, making the two fall back down onto the bed as he smashed their lips together, uncaring of the fact that he may have bruised his upper lip in the process if the sharp, stinging pain was anything to go by.

The former praetor made a soft, surprised sound, but that didn’t hinder him from moving his lips against the younger teen’s with just as much fervor.

Before long, Jason was stripped of his underwear as well, too occupied by the nude son of Hades beneath him to care that the article of clothing had been tossed aside uncaringly. When the two finally separated from their kiss, out of breath as their lips stinging slightly from their over enthusiasm, Jason looked down between them, his eyes focused on both of their erect members before his gaze flickered back to the younger demigod’s. “What…what do I do?”

Despite his lust hazed mind, Nico remembered that Jason was rather new to the world of sex, and things even slightly sexual. The younger half-blood bit down on his bottom lip hesitantly for a moment before he released his lower lip, having decided on what to do. “T-Touch them.”

With a slight nod, Jason reached for the younger hero’s member, but before he even had time to brush his fingertips over the length, Nico was lightly swatting his hand away with a shake of his head. “Both…touch…touch them both.”

The blonde made an affirmative sound, and apprehensively reached out, grasping both of their members at once. Nico gave a soft gasp at the feel of Jason’s length pressed against his own, their precum more than likely fusing together as it steadily bubbled from their slits. “Feels good,” Jason breathed out, his hand tightening around both of their member slightly.

“Move your h-hand,” Nico whispered, his hips unwittingly bucking up into the blonde’s hand and rubbing against his cock as he sought out the friction he so desperately needed in order to come.

Soon enough, Jason had followed his advice, and his hand was steadily moving up-and-down their erect lengths, a soft groan tumbling from his lips at the blissful feeling. Jason pressed his damp forehead on the younger demigod’s, and Nico let his eyes fall shut as the blonde’s hand sped up impatiently, dragging a loud whimper from him. “G-Gods, Jason.”

The blonde merely continued with the pace of his hand over their lengths, his golden blonde brows creased determinedly and his warm breathing fogging up the younger demigod’s mind, as the Roman made it obvious that he was ready to reach his end after about an hour-and-a-half of seemingly endless foreplay.

Surprisingly, Nico was the first to spill his seed, his cum spurting out in continuous ropes of the cloudy white substance, splattering out over his chest and stomach, and he swore a little bit even hit his chin. Nico panted heavily, his lids hanging at half-mast, and his small frame jerking as Jason continued his ministrations of both of their members. Despite his exhaustion, Nico propped himself up on his elbows, ignoring the pleasure that was beginning to reform in his lower stomach at the blonde’s quickening hand movements. The younger demigod leaned close to the Roman, eyes currently screwed shut with pleasure, and he trailed heavy, open-mouthed kisses along his jaw line, his warm breath adding color to the older half-blood’s already pink tinted cheeks.

Nico nosed at the spot where the older teen’s jaw met his ear, and latched onto the spot, the suctioning of his lips against the blonde’s skin muffling his soft moans as Jason’s hand continued over their lengths. Nico released the skin with a soft _pop_ , nipping at the blonde’s earlobe as a desperate moan fell from his kiss swollen lips. “N-Neeks, gonna come.”

The son of Hades couldn’t respond even if he wanted to, and he gave a jerk of his hips as he felt himself coming to an end once again. Gods, he had never come twice in one go before, and never before so quickly after his first climax. Nico heard the blonde’s loud groan of release, and he felt the Roman’s warm cum land on his chest and stomach, mingling with his own before Jason’s body began to relax with a labored exhalation of breath, his head dropping down to the crook of the younger demigod’s neck as he hand tenderly moved around both of their members, making himself hiss at the overstimulation of his own length. The warmth of Jason’s hand paired with the way the older demigod’s cock was jerking against his own, made Nico come once again with a soft whimper, his cum spurting out and spilling weakly over the blonde’s hand.

Nico let his eyes fall shut as he felt Jason’s lips press against his neck softly, uncaring of the sweat that had formed there. He brought a hand up, cupping the back of the older half-blood’s neck with a soft hum, pressing him closer as the blonde dropped a kiss to his neck. Jason lifted his head from the boy’s neck, and Nico kept his hand where it was, wobbly balancing himself on one elbow as he met the Roman’s gaze. No words were spoken as the two simultaneously moved forward, their lips slotting together slowly, and their tongues tangling leisurely as they both came down from their high, their chests heaving and damp with sweat.

The younger demigod let out a soft whining noise that was lost in the midst of their kiss as Jason removed his hand, unwittingly brushing over both of their sensitive lengths, both half bloods reacting similarly as their hips jerked upwards, their flaccid lengths sliding together clumsily due to the cum steadily dripping down their members.

When the two finally broke their languid kiss, Jason pressed their damp foreheads together, his soft, panting breaths mingling with the younger half-bloods. “That…was _amazing_ ,” the son of Jupiter huffed out, and Nico was barely able to withhold a smile at that.

“Of course… _you_ …would think it was…good, it was your…first time doing…anything like that,” Nico gasped out between labored breaths, his eyes opening to study to older teen’s expression.

With Jason’s eyes opened, Nico was met with brilliant, cerulean orbs, but he was surprised to see the apprehension brewing in their depths. “Was it…good for you?” the blonde asked hesitantly, momentarily averting his gaze as he worried his lower lip between his teeth.

For a moment, Nico was lost in regards to the Roman’s nervousness, but then, the source dawned on him. Jason was under the impression that Nico was sleeping with various people, and was having sex in his downtime, when in reality; the blonde was only the second person he had ever done anything sexual with. The raven haired demigod made a soft humming sound in the back of his throat as he pressed a kiss to the tip of the blonde’s nose, drawing his attention to him once again. “It was perfect,” he murmured reassuringly and genuinely, reveling in the small smile making its way across the older demigod’s lips, “More than perfect actually. The best.”

“Now you’re just trying to flatter me,” Jason muttered teasingly, and Nico couldn’t help but smile in response to the bright smile on the Roman’s kiss bruised lips.

“Maybe,” Nico admitted softly, pressing up into the blonde’s larger form like a cat vying for attention, an attention that he had obtained long before this moment; long before _today_.

“We should really get cleaned up,” Jason suggested reluctantly, and Nico made a soft sound of protest, bumping the blonde’s cheek in a kitten like manner.

“Don’t wanna,” he mumbled in response. “Too comfy.”

“With cum splattered across your chest?” Jason questioned dubiously, pulling back to inspect the younger demigod skeptically.

Now that Jason had pointed it out, Nico began to realize how uncomfortable it was to have the gooey substance on his skin, especially being that a few spots where their cum hadn’t been that thick and copious had begun to dry, making the younger half-blood’s nose scrunch up with distaste. “Okay, I change my mind.”

Jason smiled knowingly and removed himself from the younger half-blood’s smaller form, careful not to put too much weight on him through his movements.

Less than twenty minutes later, the two were back in bed after sponging themselves down, much too lazy to even contemplate taking a shower. Nico sighed as he settled down into one of the spare beds, his own being too… _soiled_ to sleep in. He pressed himself closer to Jason’s side, reveling in the warmth his bare chest provided. The duo had decided to sleep simply in their underwear, except Nico had chosen to don the blonde’s earlier t-shirt as well, requesting to do so with a bright red blush on his features.

“Tired?” Jason murmured as Nico attempted to stifle a yawn behind his hand, the blonde sounding rather exhausted himself as he spoke.

“Mhm, sleep,” Nico slurred, burrowing closer to the Roman’s front, his hands balled into loose fists against his chest.

“Me too.”

“G’night,” the younger demigod mumbled with a soft sigh of bliss, and before he drifted off, he felt the press of lips against the top of his head, as well as the blonde’s throaty, though sleepy, chuckle.

And if that wasn’t a damn good way to fall asleep, he didn’t know what was.

~*~

Nico awoke the next morning to a sharp rapping sound on the other side of the door, the sound of the fist against the wood rather insistent. The son of Hades groaned irritably, squeezing his eyes shut and burrowing his face into Jason’s chest as he attempted to ignore the person of the other side of the door. But when the knocking persisted he had no other choice other than to answer the door.

Gods, this was _not_ the way he imagined waking up after a rather wonderful night of sexual activities.

Carefully, so that he wouldn’t jar the sleeping son of Jupiter beside him, Nico slipped from beneath the older teen’s muscled arms, gradually removing the covers from his small frame as he slowly sat up, not quite in the mood for the vertigo that might overtake him if he moved to quickly. The raven haired demigod rolled his eyes as the knocking on the other side of the door increased in fervor as well as pace, and he glanced back towards the blonde in his bed, making sure he hadn’t woken when he heard the sound of fabric rustling.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he grumbled agitatedly, not bothering with pants seeing as the shirt he was wearing—that belonged to Jason—stopped about mid-thigh. Besides, if someone wanted to come banging on his door at…6:50 in the fucking morning, he would answer the door however he pleased, modesty be damned.

With a scowl, the raven haired demigod, grasped and twisted the doorknob, snatching open the door with a sound akin to a quite menacing growl. “What the fuck do you—?”

His words died in his throat as the haziness caused by the rising sun cleared from his eyes, and he felt the blood rush from his face at the sight of the person standing at his door. “Good morning to you too, Nico.”

“P-Percy…”

___________

_Okay, so here is the little mini fic a reader, made on her take on the smut in Chapter 18._

_Thank you to Hazel for taking the time to make this, I truly appreciate it. [ ;_

_Alright, enjoy._

**Jason’s POV (1 st person b/c that’s how I roll man)**

 

I pulled back, suddenly infinitely glad that Roman discipline had been hammered into me so hard it was practically part of my DNA. It was so hard to breath, to think. All of my senses were focusing solely on the demigod that was more or less on my lap; kissing Nico felt WAY too good to be considered legal. I pressed my forehead against his, feeling his breath falling on my lips that had moments ago been against his. I couldn’t even open my eyes; I was afraid that if I did I’d lose my mind.

“Before this gets too far, you need to know that we’re not—,” I started breathlessly before feeling Nico nuzzle into the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. “A-Are you _sniffing_ me?” I could feel myself blushing from embarrassment.

“Yes.” was the matter-of-fact reply. I could feel the smile curling up on his lips which pressed to my skin. “You smell _so_ fucking good.”

“I thought you said I smell weird?” I retorted, teasing him a bit as I let my fingers bury themselves into his soft, thick curls.

“I lied; you’re the best-smelling person I’ve ever had the pleasure of scenting.”

“You sure you never met Lupa? That’s wolf terminology.” I poked gently. “And you do realize how strange it sounds coming from you, right?”

He looked up, smiling shyly as he looked up at me through his long lashes. The overall effect was of coquettish demure. “Yeah, I do.”

I shook my head at his silliness but then remembered what I had been about to say earlier. “As I was saying, we’re not having sex.” Nico sighed unhappily, pouting like a child.

“Yea yeah, I know. We’ll just….” He suddenly trailed off, a wicked glint flashing  in eyes dark eyes. A slow, predatory smile began to paint his face.

“What?” I asked cautiously, tilting my head a bit in confusion. Instinct was telling me both to be weary and to just go along with it. I hated when my head and my body didn’t want to get along.

“Nothing. You’ll find out when we get there.” he smirked before pulling me down in one fluid motion to kiss once more. I followed willingly, enjoying the feel of his mouth on mine much more then I should. When did he get so GOOD at this? I lightly bit Nico’s lower lip, gently asking for entrance. I had imagined too many times to count what his taste was like. Would it be rich like the wine he enjoyed? Would it be salty-sweet? His scent was washing over me; earth after a long rain, musk and something that I could not identify really but somehow made me think of cool shadows. Nico parted his lips at my asking and as soon as I tasted I moaned along with him, unable to help myself. The taste of him was indescribable. Sweet, yes, but not like sugar or honey or chocolate. It was just so hard to describe but all I could really understand as my brain was slowly short-circuiting into nothing that I never wanted to forget this taste.

I tightened my grip on his locks, unable to stop myself, heat pooling into the pit of my stomach in a lovely way. One of us sighed and I’m honestly not sure if it was me or him. I felt like I was home, somewhere peaceful and warm. With Nico everything seemed to become intense and bright; I hadn’t realized color had been so flat until meeting the Son of Hades. Now I knew; I had been missing the depths the shadows brought to the light. I never wanted to stop kissing him, tasting him, being by his side. His smile, his laugh. Time flew on swift wings when we were together just relaxing and talking. Now, I was pretty sure it would disappear in an instant. But until then, I would keep him by my side, safe from the pain that seemed to keep clawing at his heart from both his own actions and his own mind.

I wondered what “things” he had in store for me. A shiver went through my spine; so much could happen. Or maybe just this would be enough? Though I doubted it since it was as bad as Drew said. And honestly I wouldn’t mind a _little_ bit of fun. After all, I wasn’t just with anyone; I was with the person I ached for the most. All those dreams I secreted away of him kissing me, touching me, disrobing me…

A startled gasp broke me from my dangerous thoughts and Nico pulled back, eyes started.  I realized a beat later I had accidentally shocked him. “S-sorry!” I could feel myself going pink in embarrassment. I looked away. “It happens when I get… worked up….” I felt him reach up and run his fingers through my hair and hum in understanding.

“Who am I to judge? Dead people come out of the ground when I’m worked up.” I couldn’t stop myself from snorting a bit in laughter, a smile crossing my face; Nico always managed to make me feel like it was okay to have flaws. To not be perfect. It was one of the best feelings to have and only Nico gave that to me. Being on such a high pedestal was painful.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I asked, teasing again. Nico bopped my nose lightly with a finger and a smile.

“Well duh.” I stopped and stared for a moment; the way his eyes seemed to shine from within, how the tension that was always on his face relaxed, the slight dimples that highlighted his high cheekbones that came from his Italian heritage. Nico noticed me staring. “What?”

“I…I like it when you smile.” I admitted. “It makes you look younger. When you sleep the same thing happens.” He groaned unhappily and buried his face in my neck; I could feel his skin heating up as he blushed.

“How am I supposed to call you creepy when you say it like that?!” he whined. “And it makes the ‘no sex’ rule SO much harder to upkeep.” I was about to reply back but the words died when I felt his lips on my neck. Slow, hot, open-mouthed kisses were placed onto my skin and I moaned softly, unable to keep the noise in. Shocks of pleasure ran though me and I unconsciously tilted my head away from him to expose more of my neck “Are you _sure_ we can’t go all the way?” he purred against my pulse before lazily running his tongue, hot and wet, over the same spot as his breath.

  1. “Yes…. I’m positive.” I answered slowly, doing my best to stay in control. Nico made another unhappy sound before placing another kiss to my skin. I was sure he would feel my pule racing on his mouth. The thought of that made the heat in my body deepen. He pulled away and kissed my lips again for only a moment and I caught myself trying to follow when he pulled away. Luckily he didn’t seem to notice.



“It’s not fair.” he whined again before deciding to change his position on my lap to straddling me instead. I could feel a blush rising on my neck now too.

“Life’s not fair Neeks; you should be used to that by now. We ARE demigods after all.” He responded with a scowl and crossing his arms, looking away. But somehow it wasn’t as dark and brooding as usual; it had an almost childish tilt to it. I chuckled a bit before placing a kiss to his cheeks, which were now blooming pink again. I kind of forgot how young Nico technically was. Was it really all right for us to be doing things like this?

“Gods, how can I be mad at you when you’re both being cute _and_ making sense?” Nico muttered. I couldn’t help but notice an ever-so slight accent to his voice now; it happened when he was frustrated, I noticed. He shook his head and wrapped his arms around my neck again, smiling happily. I felt like my chest would burst from how sweet he looked, smiling like that. I loved when he smiled the most.

“You can’t be.” I replied, making sure to make my voice comically arrogant so he would understand I wasn’t serious. A bubble of laughter escaped his lips and my own smile widened.

“You’re an idiot.” he laughed before pulling me in for another kiss. At first it was soft and gentle like the first time. I let my hands slide slowly up his back, wishing I had the nerve to reach underneath his black t-shirt to feel his skin. I craved the warmth of his body against mine, if only a little of it. If only for a bit. That’s why I loved holding his hand of hugging him; Nico always hid himself form others, kept them away. But he let me in after many long-fought months. I could still remember how it felt like I was walking on thin ice that could crack at any moment.

Nico’s tongue wrenched me from my memories firmly back into the now, a hand of his cupping the back of my neck to keep me firmly where I was. Not that I wanted to leave. His chest was pressed to mine and I could feel the thudding of his heart, are quick and erratic as my own. Our tongues played lazily; there was no rush or worry. My nerves were calming as a soft burning settled under my skin and into my muscles, relaxing me.

I felt Nico slowly slide his hands down the back of my shirt onto my bare back and I moaned in response, bringing him even closer if that was possible. Our kisses grew more heated, more needy and hungry. It was like he was stealing my breath away before I could get it back fast enough. I could feel my hands slipping just a bit under the hem of his shirt as a sudden, intense jolt of heat and pleasure shot through me. Nico broke the kiss slowly and another spike ran through me as he rolled his hips slow and firm against mine. I was unable to stop my moan that clawed out of my throat. _C-crap…_ A wicked smile flashed on his face, eyes so darkened from lust they looked perfectly black.  He proceeded to place more hot, wet open-mouthed kisses on my neck and I tilted my head back for easier access, trying hard to catch my breath. He continued down my neck to the edge of my shirt before stopping.

“I’m gonna take your shirt off, okay?” he asked gently. I nodded. _Please._ I felt restricted and my shirt suddenly chaffed. I needed the coolness of Nico’s hand on my skin so back it hurt. In fact, I kind of was hurting pretty bad down there. Soon it was off and I could hear my pulse in my ears. I felt so vulnerable and exposed even though it was just a shirt. It wasn’t like I hadn’t taken off my shirt after working up a sweat sparring. But this was a different setting, a different goal in mind. I locked eyes with Nico and his wanting gaze softened a bit; it was probably obvious I was nervous. “I’m not going to force you, or try and convince you to do anything you absolutely don’t want to do, okay?” he said, eyes open and honest. I felt myself relax a bit and let out a slow breath to soothe my nerves.

“I trust you.” And I did. It was almost scary how much I trusted him. As much as I gave leeway to others, I liked to be perfectly in control of myself; my actions, my decisions, my body. Letting Nico do – to a point – as he pleased was pretty big for me. I honestly wasn’t sure how much Nico understood that. But sadly my heart didn’t care what my mind said. A noise of surprise was his response. The heat drained for a moment from his eyes and they looked glassy, as if he might cry.

“I….” He cleared his voice but I had heard it; the shock and awe and relief.

“You…?” He shook his head instead before taking my face in his hands and kissing me once more. I let my tongue slip in again, craving another hit of my heart’s drug of choice. Soon it was becoming too much; I needed to feel his skin on mine so madly it hurt. I tugged his shirt off of him to which he fiddled clumsily with my belt. I was pushing him off of my lap and standing on my knees without thinking about it, towering protectively over him, he head tilted up as we kissed and tasted and panted with hunger.

“Jason…” he gasped, sounding just as breathless as I felt. I wasn’t sure when I had tugged off his black skinny jeans but it didn’t matter as I pressed him right against me, needed for just a moment to feel him. I felt him push me back, causing me to tumble back onto the bed and breaking the kiss. I was stripped of everything but my boxers. I tried once more to catch my breath.

“What… what are we going to do?” I asked cautiously, both curious and fearful, as I sat up.

“I’m going to jerk you off.” he smirked, reply blunt.

“W-well said.” I snorted, trying to keep it light while inside I was shaking, my body craving Nico more than ever before.

 “Relax Jace.” Nico murmured against my lips before placing another kiss on them. As he pulled away I followed so that our lips were still ever so slightly touching. I could feel myself loosing grip. “Nervous?” I was staring straight not his eyes; I was so close I could see the dark brown but also, surprisingly, minute flecks of almost black purple in them, like blackened amethysts, as well as gold. Dark brown wasn’t even close to describing the subtle complexities in those hypnotic irises. I nodded minutely, mind numb from those eyes that held so much pain and hunger all at one. It was like I was being pulled into the earth and shadows so I could never escape. “Don’t be.” He gifted me with another kiss as I trembled a bit in fear. “It’s just me.” As he said that I realized that he wasn’t the reason for my fear; it was myself. That I would be inadequate and that Drew had been lying to me just so we’d hook up. I was afraid I wouldn’t control myself. I was afraid Nico would never speak to me again after this. And, most of all, a fear I shoved deep deep inside of my mind in as small of a metaphysical box as I could; would I become like my father and be driven by lust after this and not love?

 _That_ scared me most of all.

“I know.” I finally said before exhaling. “Oh my gods…” I fell back down onto the bed on my back, throwing my arms over my eyes. “I can’t believe this is actually happening right now.”

“I know, it’s like a dream come true huh?” he purred back happily. _Both a dream and a nightmare._ I could feel him slowly beginning to slide down my boxers. My arms were shaking.

“You’re crazy… completely insane.” I grumbled, heat intense on my face. Slowly, agonizingly so, he stripped me of the last piece of clothing that hid me. Not even Piper had gotten this far. I bit my lower lip hard, almost drawing blood, as there was silence. Then…

“Damn, you’re _packing_.” I chocked on my own air and almost sprang up to either hide or smack Nico upside the head; I honestly wasn’t sure which.

“Don’t say things like that!”

“I’m only calling it as I see it.” was the cheeky reply. “And here I thought _I_ was the Italian in this coupling.” My heart fluttered at the word _coupling_.

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know; the stereotype of how Italians have big dicks-“

“Okay, okay, _stop_!” I practically squealed. “Gods, are you _trying_ to make me die from embarrassment?!” Nico laughed, full and loud and I head the faint sound of my boxers landing on the dark wood floor of the cabin.

“Oh course not.” I could feel his eyes searing into my body, his gaze roaming everywhere. I didn’t want to look, couldn’t look. I was sure I’d lose it if I did. I could feel in particular a spot her kept going back to.

“C-Can you stop staring at… at _it_ like you’re gonna eat it?” I stammered, looking for a moment at Nico’s face. He looked like he was seeing the best thing in the world. A sly smirk graced his lips before he boldly reached out and lightly caressed his fingertips over me. A shock like electricity but made of fire instead burned up from where he touched and I squeezed my eyes shut, covering my face one more. _Oh Gods, oh Gods…_ Would I really be able to handle this? I knew the answer; no, I wouldn’t.

Nico lazily caressed me taking his time. Another intense shock went through me as I felt something get caught in the slit; probably his fingernail. I grasped my upper arms with my hands, my nails digging into the skin to try and keep some little semblance of restraint. “Feel good?” he murmured.

I was about to answer but he grasped me and all that came out was a chocking sound. I couldn’t breathe and I struggled for air, for reason, for some semblance of control. But now I couldn’t even control my own words. “I wanna see…” Nico lazily said, his slight accent filtering in again, “how many times…” The pace of his strokes matched the timing of his words and I moaned in need. “You can come without going soft.” The thought of that was enough to unwind my mind even more.

“Y-You’re really t-trying to kill me.” I whimpered, the spikes of pleasure even more intense than before if that was possible. I could feel his gaze, hot and intense, never wavering. It was embarrassing but I was too deep into feelings of pleasure to feel the embarrassment. I felt him gently squeeze me in response.

“Never.” Nico replied coyly. I could hear the smile in his voice.  “If you died, we’d never be able to have fun like this again. Plus, I’d never get the chance to have that cock of yours in my as-“ I cut him off by shaking my head as frantically as I could, another spike of hunger piercing my body. _D-don’t say it. Please…_ Because if it was said - by him or me - it would solidify my doom. As of now, I could pretend, shove away what my body craved from him. I could feel myself blushing even deeper. “Oh… you’re less of a prude than I thought Jace.” I heard him purr.

I pressed my arms harder onto my face, trying to hide, trying to pretend I wasn’t on the edge of jumping up and doing things to Nico I was sure would make him blush even under the influence of the Sacred Love Wine. Nico seemed to be changing tactics; I felt the mattress shift as he moved to me, hand never stopping his calculated strokes. “You were thinking about fucking me, weren’t you?” he murmured against my ear, breath hot. I tried to laugh, to play it off, but all that came was a choked groan. _Yes. Yes, I’ve dreamt about it and how you wouldn’t leave until I’d taken all the pain and filled the holes with love among other things._

“I bet it’s not the first time you’ve thought about it either, is it?” I couldn’t breathe. _No. So many times… I don’t care who screws who; I just want all of you._ “Mmm, thought so.” The triumph in his voice was obvious. I was panting a little now. _Faster… please…_ Almost as if reading my mind, his pace picked up and incoherent noises of want passed my lips. “All you have to do is ask. Nicely, of course.” I shook my head, barely holding onto my sanity. Nico worked the skin behind my ear, never stopping his pace and never faltering, causing light shivers to join with the hot ache that was now deep in my bones. A need I desperately longed for him to fulfill.

“Jason.” His voice was soft and teasing, almost melodious, “Do you wanna fuck me?” The tone was innocent but dripping with lust. _So much._ I was full-on panting now as my mind fluttered to the fantasy I loved most. It hadn’t even occurred to me until the first incident with the Love Wine, when Nico had been calling me praetor. I hadn’t realized until that moment how stupidly hot it was for Nico to talk like that. “You wanna put your cock in my ass? Is that it?” _And then fuck you so much you can’t walk right and everyone knows you’re mine._ He stopped his strokes for a moment and I couldn’t help but groan unhappily, hips moving on instinct and looking for friction once more. _Don’t stop please… I need this… you… everything… Nico…_ I felt him run his hand form base to tip before taking the liquid at the tip and smearing it down.

“ _N-Nico_..” I sobbed, practically falling to pieces at the seams. Nico hummed in satisfaction.

“Jason, listen to me.” His voice now was commanding but soft, a deadly-sweet promise behind it as he kissed my cheek, continuing his strokes. “Your virginity is mine, okay?” He tightened his grip in a delicious way and I cried out in need, back arching a bit and bringing our bodies close for a moment. _I think it always has been yours because I want it to be._ “Don’t you _dare_ even think of giving it to anyone else.” I was close, so close. My bones were melting.

“Do you want me to take your virginity, Jason?” he murmured, voice soft like velvet shadows. _Please…_ Thoughts and images of just falling to pieces with him deep inside of me filled my mind. How intense it would be, how we’d fit perfectly. _Please say it oh GODS Nico fucking say it and make me fall apart!!_ His strokes stopped and for a moment everything was a still burning in my body. “Do you, _praetor_?”

I fell apart. A strangled cry escaped my mouth as everything fell through inside of me. _Yes!! I want you to claim me, to make me yours. To take me into the shadows so that I can be with you and no one can see and judge. I want to take every inch of you, claim your heart, steal your soul and invade your mind like you’ve done to me. I want you Nico Gods fucking DAMN IT I WANT TO FUCK YOU HARD YOU CAN’T MOVE FROM THE PLEASURE!!!_ I could only hear the rushing sound of my pulse, see black stars blooming in my non-existent vision, my body arching up in need. I could practically see and feel myself inside of him, spilling into him as he cried me name in ecstasy.

I finally settled back down onto the mattress, still aching and needing more. Touch wasn’t enough; I needed to feel him, to love him. To cover him in love marks and feel his body heat up with mine because of me. I let out a shaky sigh, feeling pleasantly dizzy. _I don’t want to just screw you Nico; I was to make love to you. Why is that so hard to understand?_

I felt the raven-haired body place a kiss on my burning cheeks, his lips feeling cool in comparison. I caught my breath as best as I could, my body totally loose and relaxed. Finally, I moved my arms from my eyes just in time to see Nico looking curiously at his fingers covered in something sticky and semi-transparent. _Oh Gods…. he’s not-!!_ He seemed lost in his thoughts as he gave a slight shrug and stick the sticky-covered finger into his mouth. I felt my jaw drop down in shock and I choked once more on the air I’d barely just claimed into my lungs. He noticed my stare and blushed in embarrassment when our eyes met.

He blinked innocently at me, eyes wide. “What?”

“D-did… did you just-!?”

“Eat your cum? Yes.” he replied happily, licking the rest of his fingers clean. I was pretty sure I was bright pink from my hair to my toes. “It doesn’t taste bad. It’s actually kinda… good.” I stared at him in shock. Two thoughts went through my mind simultaneously; ‘what the fuck is wrong with you!?’ and ‘ _Good_ ’. I opted to say the first.

“What is _wrong_ with you?! Can’t you get diseased from doing stuff like that?!”

“If I was a mortal, yes. But I’m not, so I have nothing to worry about. And neither do you.” I was stunned for a moment before going on a rant, anything to stop the thoughts racing through my mind.

“That’s doesn’t matter! And why in the WORLD would you want to taste it? It’s sticky and slimy and gross and-!” I cut myself off when I saw Nico had slipped down while I was ranting so that his face was right by my member. He reached out and took it in his hands, sending another jolt of pleasure through me. “N-Nico… what are you doing?” I propped myself up on my elbows to see better. His eyes flashed up at me for a moment as he smirked.

“Cleaning.” was the innocent reply. _Oh no…_ I opened my mouth to try and stop him but I wasn’t fast enough, I felt his tongue, hot and wet, run from base to tip. I gasped, a deep ache in my gut already starting. He continued to “clean” and I was being quickly reduced to a moaning mass on the bed. When he finished, I felt him take me in his hand again. “Let’s do it again.”

I blinked, trying desperately to get out of the lustful haze I was falling into. “Do…” I cleared my throat, hearing the rasp of arousal in it. _Shit, don’t encourage him!_ “Do ‘it’?”

“Mmm…” Nico pressed a kiss to me, sending another jolt through me; I was still sensitive from the first time. “I wanna suck your-.”

“Nope!” I cut him off, quickly sitting up. “Not happening. We’ve already done it once-“

“But _why_?” he whined, pouting. “You won’t even fuck me, the least you can do is let me suck your c-.”

I put my hands childishly over my ears. “D-Don’t say that!! Gods, it’s so vulgar.” Nico didn’t respond so I slowly took my hands off my ears. I reached down and lightly stroked his curls. “Come on, get up.” I coaxed gently. He shook his head stubbornly. Seems he wanted to still be difficult. “Neeks-“ My words were cut off when another jolt that went straight to the pit of my stomach rushed through me; Nico has done it anyway. _No no NO this will NOT happen again._ I reached down and took hold of Nico’s pitch-black hair, ready to yank him forcibly off me. A shock that reached even deeper into my core surged through me as his tongue lazily swirled around the tip. My eyes shut form the pleasure. “O-Once was e-enough Neeks….” I panted. He pulled off for a moment, looking at him; his eye shone like a predatory playing with its prey. He flicked his tongue over the slit and I moaned, my eyes shutting again.

He took me in his mouth again and this time I couldn’t argue. Each little think he did sent more and more fire through me, beginning to melt my bones once more and much more quickly this time from still being so sensitive. Bit by bit he was taking me in and I fell into a panting mess, clutching his hair for some purchase of control. “Nico... Nico…” I wasn’t trying to make him stop any more; I was encouraging him. _More… oh Gods more please… make me come again…_ The thought of coming first to his touch and then his tongue was tantalizing. My fingers ached to reach down and touch him, to make him feel as good as I did. Then Nico did something with his cheeks

“Fuck!” I tightened my grip on his hair, trying not to pull it out. My body fell forward, making me loom over him. I could barely stand it. I heard Nico whimper and I opened my eyes for a moment to see his hips pressed to the mattress. My fingers twitched, wanting to be the ones to relieve him. Another swipe underneath caused me to close my eyes again and the puddle of heat built in my gut and my bones melted again. I was panting open-mouthed now, sometimes calling Nico’s name in need and encouragement. It was all becoming too much. _But it’s not enough… not enough…_

“T-Too… sensitive. I…I’m gonna come Nico.” I gasp. I was bent over so much I was practically panting into his hair. He looked up at me through those dark, long lashes of his before humming softly. The vibrations, mixed with a well-times twist of his wrist made me jolt up, leaning back now, head tilted back. “ _Nico!_ I’m g-gonna-!” Everything fell apart inside of me once more and I gave a cry, my hips moving forward into the wet, inviting heat of his mouth. Nico’s hands held my hips down. I heard Nico moan and I thrust forward helplessly, lost in my own mind and body. I knew what that moan was and it didn’t let with what was running through my mind; being deep inside of him, making him climax with me, falling apart and into one another in blissful pleasure. I expected Nico to pull back, but he never did, instead swallowing down everything and I gave a chocked sob at that realization.

What he finally pulled off, I was barely coming down from the stars.

“That was fun.”

“You’re absolutely crazy….” This time I felt exhausted.

“Oh, you think? Why thank you, kind gentleman.” _Gentleman? Yeah right…_ I let myself fall back down onto the partially-soiled sheets, too tired to care. Nico came over, nuzzling into my side happily. I bit my lip, afraid to ask but I decided to anyway; I was screwed no matter whether I asked or not.

“Nico… did you… you know?” He looked up at me innocently, blinking in confusion before understanding dawned on his face.

“Yeah, I did. Speaking of which…” He pulled away and I grunted unhappily as his absence before he stripped himself of his own boxers which I could see were sticky as well. He kicked them causally to the floor. I couldn’t help but stare. He had been eating a bit better but was still too thin. However, I could see the wiry muscles, strong and lithe, on his form. Since he was being forced to go outside he wasn’t as pale as before, thought he was still quite pale. I longed to pull him to me and kiss him, holding him close. “You know…” His voice pulled me back again, “You’re naked, _I’m_ naked. We’re both naked. In bed. Do you know what naked people do in beds usually?”

“Sleep?” I replied, playing stupid, trying hard to stop staring at him. Despite being still too skinny for his own good, he looked beautiful. Like a statue come to life. I could see a few sparse freckles were trying to make themselves known. I could see the beauty hidden by the years of neglect and starvation of his own body. Nico noticed and I looked away, blushing.

“No they have se-.”I cut him off by throwing a pillow at his face. He shoved the pillow away. “That was mean.” he pouted.

“Sorry.” I replied deadpan. He opened his mouth but I stopped him by surging forward and kissing the tip of his nose. He quieted down.

“You tired?” he asked and I nodded, yawning a bit to my own surprise. I was too relaxed to care anymore honestly. All I wanted to do now was snuggle with him and fall asleep, Nico in my arms. Nico came and settled down next to me, pulling up the covers around us. I hummed in contentment and wrapped my arms around him, tucking his head to my chest, right by my heart. I heard him chuckle. I didn’t know what the morning would be like. I wasn’t sure how happy or upset he would be after remembering what we did . But despite the embarrassment and the nerves, it had felt amazing. Any doubt I had was gone; Nico was the one I loved. Whom I held to my heart. the one that made me feel alive. He didn’t place me on a pedestal. He didn’t expect perfection. All he wanted was honesty and I could do that easily. _I love you Nico._

With that last thought, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I kind of feel as if I've rushed Jason and NIco's making up in this chapter, BUT I didn't want you guys to have to wait to long for the main plot, which will be playing out in the next two chapters and shiz.  
> So!  
> Tell me what you thought about this chapter, I'd really appreciate it. [ :


	21. Just Set My Heart on Fire, Like Gasoline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was numb."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, I'm going to have to do this again.  
> I'M SORRRRRY.  
> I haven't been meaning to take this long when updating, but I've been crazy sick these past two weeks or so, and its been rather upsetting not being able to write as much as I wanted to.  
> But I'm feeling so much better now, thank goodness, and I powered through the rest of this chapter last night.  
> While I was sick, I tried to continue on with the chapter, and my original plan had been to update three days after Chapter 20 had been posted. But, in my sickly state, I have written about 5,000 words (which is rather unacceptable to me), all of which were terrible. Bless my poor little sickly soul, because I don't know what the hell I was writing. I'm pretty sure at some point I wrote some kind of rant, that had nothing to do with the story, about pillows.  
> Like, what the actual fuck. o_o  
> ANYWAYS!  
> I'm done, and I hope you all like it.  
> As always, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and criticism is welcomed. Enjoy. [ ;  
> * This chapter title is a lyric from the wonderful Troye Sivan's "Gasoline", I do not own the lyrics, or the song. Just saying. And before I forget, thank you all for helping me to get to 700 kudos, I truly never thought I would get this far, and I did will all of you all's support. Thanks, babes. ;* "

** Annabeth’s POV **

Annabeth planted her hands on her hips, triumphantly looking down at her considerably stuffed suitcase that she had been battling to zip for quite some time now. She may have over packed a little, but it wasn’t as if she lived close to Camp Half-Blood like some of the demigods did, so it was very rare that she got to spend time at home. And gods, this trip couldn’t have come at a better time.

Back at camp, she had been ready to burst from her inner turmoil. It was hard talking to everyone and acting like everything was okay. It was hard walking past Nico and not saying a word, not expressing how betrayed she felt by his action. And it was so, _so_ , hard not confronting a certain son of Poseidon about his supposed infidelity.

Annabeth was _far_ from stupid, and she guessed she had her mother and even her father to thank for that. While everyone else was speculating that it was she Nico was in love with, she could see that the son of Hades harbored secret feelings for Percy that he used her as a cover for. And she didn’t mind it all that much,it was actually quite endearing. She believed it to be a harmless crush. After all, Percy was Nico’s Mythomagic hero come to life, and despite breaking his promise to protect his sister, his feelings still remained. Again, she thought it was a harmless crush, and therefore, thought it quite petty to step in and confront Nico on his feelings, especially when he was such a moody teen as it was.

But now, it appeared that Nico was finally acting on his feelings, and Annabeth didn’t quite know _who_ to blame, or what to do.

Annabeth _wanted_ to be angry at Nico for potentially ruining her relationship with Percy, she wanted to scream, and yell at him until she got her point across. But she _couldn’t_. No matter how badly she wanted to blame this situation on the son of Hades. Nico just didn’t seem like the cunning, confident type, didn’t seem like the person to seduce the object of their feelings _especially_ if they were in a relationship. No, that wasn’t like Nico at all.

So that left Percy.

She wasn’t saying that Percy was the type to blatantly cheat, or seduce a person to bed, but Percy _was_ the type to dive head first into things, not quite thinking about the depth of the situation beforehand.

She didn’t know _what_ Percy felt for the son of Hades, didn’t know _why_ he may have been pursuing him. At first, she thought it had something to do with her. She _was_ very headstrong, and was most definitely not the quite, doting wife. But she quickly cast those thoughts aside as soon as she thought them up. Percy knew what he was getting himself into when they started dating, _knew_ that Annabeth wasn’t like most girls, that she’d rather read a few novels than go shopping, or that she’d rather talk about architecture than the new, teen heartthrob.

Percy knew that quite well. So where was this sudden infidelity coming from?

To her, their relationship had been going quite well. They rarely fought, and when they did, it was over something petty that they apologized for soon after their bickering. They were _happy_. At least she thought they were.

And then there was Nico.

Annabeth knew quite well that the son of Hades had tendencies to get jealous over her and Percy’s relationships. She recognized the look of envy in his deep brown depths whenever he glanced in their directions. But it wasn’t as if she could do anything about it. She loved Percy, and she wasn’t at all willing to give him up because of Nico’s little crush.

 _Maybe he’s getting me back for Capture the Flag_.

Annabeth winced at the thought. She had overreacted that day, and she knew she was wrong in putting Nico so far away from the game despite his abilities. But seeing as Nico was already an outcast at the camp, she thought she was doing him a favor by positioning him so far away where he wouldn’t have to use his rather special abilities in the game. She _knew_ some of the campers would have been freaked out at seeing Nico’s ability to call forth that dead and they would have pushed him further into solitude. And she didn’t want that for the younger demigod, no, she truly had his best intentions at heart when she positioned him so far away, she just didn’t think her decision would backfire in such a negative way.

And yes, she should have apologized to him for blowing up at him in front of nearly the whole camp; _she_ should have been the one to apologize for the end result of him being punched by Percy. But she didn’t know _how_. To say she was bad at apologizing would be an understatement. Yes, she felt guilty that the whole situation had happened and she knew it was her fault, but it was hard for her to forsake her pride in order to apologize.

But now she was regretting not having done it.

The sound of a door opening had Annabeth blinking to clear the glassiness from her eyes as she looked away from her suitcase and to her father, Professor Chase, standing in the doorway and looking rather exhausted. “You ready to go?” he yawned out, adjusting his glasses on his nose blearily.

“Yeah,” the blonde looked around her room as she nibbled her lower lip.

She had a flight to Manhattan, New York at three-thirty this morning, meaning she would get to Camp Half-Blood around eight, seven-fifty-ish by eastern time, if she and Argus—the one hundred-eyed security guard who would be picking her up from the airport and driving her to the camp—were lucky.

Annabeth lugged her suitcase from her queen sized bed, wrinkling the comforter as she dragged her suitcase to the floor where she pulled up the lever from there. As she stopped before her dad, he pulled her into and tight hug, and Annabeth released the handle of her luggage in favor of wrapping her arms around her father. “We’ll miss you, honey,” he mumbled into her blonde locks, tightening the embrace slightly.

“I’ll miss you all too,” Annabeth responded honestly.

Despite the slightly rocky turf between her and her family, Annabeth truly had a good time on her stay. She had continued the task of eradicating the awkward tension between her and her stepmother, and had even gone closer to her twin brothers, who though they could be could be quite the nuisances, were darlings at heart. Besides, they distantly reminded her of Callum in their childish ways.

Professor Chase dropped a kiss to his daughter’s cheek before he moved away with a smile, patting Annabeth on the shoulder fondly. “Let’s get you back to camp then, I’m sure _Percy_ missed you,” he teased lightheartedly, turning before he got the chance to see the demigod’s smile falter.

Annabeth shook her head of any dark thoughts before she followed after her father, pausing before her brothers’ room. She didn’t want to wake them, but she was sure they would throw a fit in the morning if they found out that she left without saying a goodbye, even though she had already done so before they had gone to bed. Quietly, Annabeth propped her suitcase against the wall, grasping the knob of the door and twisting before she opened the door as silently as possible, peering into the room curiously. With a slight, absent smile, the female demigod tiptoed into the room, stopping before the boys’ bunk bed. Carefully, she climbed up onto the small ladder, reaching the top bunk at no time at all. Her smile grew at the soft snores emanating from her brother, Bobby, and she leaned down, and pressed a soft kiss to boy’s forehead before she stepped down the ladder, wincing slightly when she heard Matthew stirring from the bottom bunk. “Annabeth?”

She kneeled down at the sound of the quiet, childish inquiry and Matthew pawed at his eyes sleepily, gazing at his half-sister through sleep hazed orbs. “Where are you going, Annie?” he asked, noticing her clothing.

“Back to New York,” she whispered, keeping her tone down so that she didn’t end up waking the other sleeping twin.

“But…why?” her mortal half-brother blinked at her tiredly, his lips twisted into a small frown as he propped himself up on his elbows.

Annabeth leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. “Because I have to go back to summer camp,” she explained softly, beginning to pull back from the younger mortal.

Her eyes slightly widened in surprise as her brother threw his arms around her neck, keeping her in place firmly as he squeezed her tightly, and yawn nearly drowning out his murmured words. “Bye, Annie. Come back soon, okay?”

Annabeth smiled, wrapping her arms around the boy’s small frame. “I will, I promise.”

And with that, Matthew was settling back down for bed, and Annabeth was leaving the room, quickly taking hold of her luggage and carting it down the hallway. Before she left, she made sure to say a quick, sincere goodbye to her stepmother, who also made her promise that she’d come back soon, then she was out the door, quietly locking it behind her. And soon enough, she had stored her luggage in the trunk and she was off to the airport alongside her father, her ticket clenched tightly in her hand, slightly crinkling the paper.

 _Whatever happens, happens_ , she reminded herself as she watched the place she had come to call “home” fade in the distance through the side-view mirror, her thoughts easily drifting back to the topic she had attempted to force to the back of her mind, time and time again: Percy Jackson and the oh-so angelic Nico di Angelo.

Annabeth frowned, inwardly chastising herself for the bitter quality her mental voice took. Nico wasn’t the only one to blame. He and Percy had taken equal parts in their actions. And though she hated to admit it, _she_ was at fault as well. For not addressing the problem head on and merely letting everything continue on, acting as if everything was normal. But it wasn’t. And it probably never would be again.

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t afraid of what would happen when she got to camp. She wasn’t sure if anything had changed between her and her boyfriend in the time she had left. For all she knew, Percy had dropped her and scooped up the son of Hades, and was merely waiting to inform her when she got back to camp.

Annabeth couldn’t contain her flinch at that, and her father paused in his ramblings about the designs of a NASA space shuttle. “You alright over there, Annabeth?”

Annabeth forced a smile. “Fine. I’m just ready to get back to camp. What was that you were saying about the shuttle’s blueprints?”

Mr. Chase eagerly continued on with his rant, and Annabeth nodded along robotically, not really as interested as she appeared to be at the moment, though the sound of her dad’s voice soothed her frayed edges more than she thought it would, and ultimately cleared her mind enough for her to make the decision she should have made a long time ago.

She would talk to Percy when she got to camp. She was scared to. More than scared actually and she couldn’t help the slight twinge of irritation that her fear caused. She didn’t like being afraid, who did? But she _loathed_ it, hated the way her fear seemed to immobilize her mind, and as a child of Athena whose mind was her natural weapon, that, in and of itself was terrifying. She hated that she was so afraid of losing Percy, but she couldn’t help it. Gods, she loved her Seaweed Brain with everything in her, and she didn’t just want to… _give up_ on their relationship after everything they’ve been through. For Hera’s sake, they went through _Tartarus_ together, and they—and their relationship—came out virtually untouched. As a matter of fact, they were stronger than ever afterwards; their trust in one another having strengthened.

But despite that all and her love for the son of Poseidon, she _refused_ to be walked all over. And even more, she refused to be deceived….to be _played_. But she was letting Percy do that to her by keeping her mouth closed and pretending that nothing was happening while the son of the sea god went on with his disloyal actions.

And what, pray tell, did his disloyal actions include?

Gods, she hadn’t the slightest idea, and that scared her even more. As far as she knew, Percy and Nico had kissed once. Only once. But no matter how much she wanted to believe that was the first and last, or the only time they had do it, she wasn’t naïve enough to do so. She wanted to believe that they may have stopped at one kiss, that they realized what they were doing was wrong and swore not to do it again, but when she had asked Leo for further detail on his viewing of the interaction, those beliefs were squashed.

‘ _They…they honestly kissed like it wasn’t the first time they had done so_ ,’ Leo had sighed out when the daughter of Athena had pressed for more details. ‘ _And they didn’t separate afterwards, Annabeth. They went into his cabin…it was all hot and heavy, and sweet Hestia, this is awkward._ ’

Now, what could they have _possibly_ been doing in Percy’s cabin?

Annabeth didn’t even want to think about it, but she knew she had to consider the possibilities. Percy and Nico could be sleeping together.

The female demigod squeezed her eyes shut at the thought, her stomach twisting into anxious coils. If Percy and Nico were sleeping together, she didn’t know _what_ she would do. She knew the smart thing to do would be to break up with Percy, but she loved him, so much. And she didn’t want to split with him. But Percy kissing Nico, versus him _sleeping_ with the son of Poseidon were under two, completely different categories. If Percy had merely kissed Nico, Annabeth could consider forgiving him, but if he had _slept_ with him…she knew for a fact that she wouldn’t be quite forgiving.

If she were to stay with Percy even after he slept with someone else, that may give him the idea that he had free reign to continue doing so, and that was most definitely _not_ the case.

“—here.”

Annabeth blinked, dragging herself from her thoughts as she finally realized her father was staring at her. “What was that?”

Professor Chase chuckled, but Annabeth could see concern flickered through his eyes momentarily before nothing but amusement was left behind. “I said we’re here; your head is really off in New York right now, huh?”

The blonde frowned, turning to study the drop-off of the airport with surprised, feather gray eyes. “Just a little distracted, Dad,” she murmured, reaching over and unbuckling her seatbelt with a mental sigh.

“So I see. I’ll help you get your luggage.”

Before Annabeth could protest, her dad was out of the car, and making his way to the trunk. She fumbled with the handle of the door for a moment, still attempting to keep her mind off of the dismaying thoughts from dominating her mind. Finally, she was able to open the door, and when she stepped out, her father was waiting a little away from the passenger door, her single, standard black suitcase in hand, and his brows raised with what seemed to be an ever-present amusement today amusement. Giving into her urges, Annabeth closed the distance between herself and her father after she closed the car door behind her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close and soaking in his comfort, the comfort that she so desperately needed at the moment. “You’re squeezing me like this is the last time you’ll see me. What, is there another…I don’t know, mythological war coming up again that you haven’t told me about?” Professor Chase teased lightly, wrapping his arms around his daughter.

Annabeth couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of her lips at his tone. She felt at ease like this, _normal_ even, with her father joking around with her like he used to do when she was little. “Yeah, we’re calling this one the Battle of the Beanie Babies.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” he responded dryly, and then his voice sobered. “Just come and visit again soon, okay? Come anytime you like.”

Annabeth nodded, and pulled away from her dad, giving him a reassuring smile. “I will, I promise.”

And with that, they said their final goodbyes, and Annabeth was making her way through the airport, just in time as her three-thirty flight began loading. Annabeth slid into a window seat in coach, fingering her camp beads as she attempted to relax herself. Flying didn’t bother her, but that didn’t mean she was overly fond of it. But that wasn’t what had her so fidgety, she was eager to get back to camp, to see what she had missed, and reconnect with her friends. And despite her problems with the son of Poseidon, she was eager to see him as well, and she couldn’t help that at all.

~*~

The flight to New York had been rather uneventful, and despite her exhaustion, Annabeth had been unable to sleep during the five hour flight, too anxious to get there to bother with sleep. Luckily for her, they had touched down around seven twenty (eight twenty), being that there were no problems that occurred on the flight. Annabeth walked through the Long Island MacArthur Airport, her eyes scanning for the familiar Camp Half-Blood security guard. Before long, she spotted him, being that he was one hundred-eyed, it didn’t make it too hard in fact, especially with the makeshift, cardboard sign he was holding that said ‘Annabeth Chase’ in large, messy handwriting.

Unable to hide her grin, Annabeth jogged up to the security guard, her luggage in tow. “Hey, Argus,” she greeted, her eyes flickering to the sign that was lowered to the one hundred-eyed giant’s—who was rather small for a giant—side now that she had arrived.

Argus dipped his head, politely addressing her words before he motioned to the exit of the airport. Annabeth followed behind him as they weaved their way past the mortals, who due to the Mist, were unsuspecting of the one hundred-eyed man walking past. Annabeth let out a breath of air she hadn’t realized she had been holding upon seeing the standard camp van, the ones that were disguised as merely being strawberry cartel to different restaurants in the New York area.

She looked away from the van when Argus grunted, motioning to her suitcase with a questioning look that was even more defined with his visible eyes. “Oh, I’ve got it,” the female demigod insisted, moving towards the van with her luggage in tow.

When Argus persisted, going as far as to intercept her to take her bag, Annabeth stopped in her tracks, planting her hands on her hips with a stern expression. “What, you think I can’t carry my own luggage because I’m a girl? Huh?”

Argus’ visible eyes seemed to widen all at once, and before he could do anything, Annabeth was taking a bold step forward, her brows rose as the security guard shook his head adamantly. “Oh, that’s not so? Then move out of the way and let me put _my_ luggage in the van because I’m obviously capable of doing so myself.”

Argus raised his eye speckled hands in surrender, making a grumbling sound as he walked to the other side of the van, getting into the driver’s seat and closing the door behind him with an audible shutting sound. Hiding a triumphant smile, Annabeth slid open the door of the van, carefully setting down her luggage before she closed the door, moving over to the passenger side and casually hopping in, the familiar scent of Camp Half-Blood’s strawberries making her ever more eager, yet nervous to be at the camp.

If the time came for her to do so, would she _really_ break up with Percy? She wasn’t quite sure, and she _hated_ it. Hated the fact that the son of Poseidon caused her to be so indecisive, so _vulnerable_ , when she was the complete opposite of those things. When she was with Percy, she became a whole other person; different from the one most recognized shouting out battle strategizes during wars. She became soft, like putty in his hands, just as he was in hers. She didn’t always like it, but she didn’t have to.

That was love.

But did love really undermine all? Could her love for Percy really drown out her negative emotions of anger, resentment, and most of all, hurt? Yes, she loved Percy, but she respected herself enough not put herself through something that was breaking her emotionally. She wasn’t okay. In fact, she was far from it, and day-by-day, it got harder to put on the front of happiness while Percy’s infidelity was lurking in the shadows of her mind.

Was he with Nico while she was gone?

Did they kiss again?

Did he hold him like he held her and whisper sweet nothings into his ear?

Did they sleep together?

Did he pick him over her?

Annabeth could barely withhold a flinch at the last thought, and without looking, she knew a few of Argus’ many eyes were on her, surveying her current state, be it emotionally, or physically. She didn’t want to be this weak person, this girl who let her boyfriend get away with anything and everything just because of her love for him. _No_ , she would not be that girl. Not if she could help it. She would figure this out soon, and come out whole in the end.

With or without Percy, as much as the second part brought tears to her eyes.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico instantly regretted not putting on proper clothing, and even more than that, he regretting yanking the door opened so widely, nearly making it possible for the son of Poseidon to catch sight of the son of Jupiter sleeping soundly in his bed, oblivious to the situation at hand. And to make matters worse, he was wearing Jason’s deep purple Camp Jupiter t-shirt _with no pants on_ , and he was sure he reeked of cum and sweats. He knew he should have taken a shower last night. But if his attire wasn’t or scent wasn’t sketchy enough, the look of dread on his face was sure to give him away.

“H-Hey, Percy,” he mumbled, quickly closing the door until only a portion of himself as well as he cabin was visible to view, the spare bed luckily being positioned perfectly so that the son of the sea god would not be able to see it behind the cracked door…unless he decided to try and peer around the younger demigod, which Nico _hoped_ to every god and goddess he remembered he wouldn’t try and do.

Percy’s dark colored brows arched curiously at the younger hero’s strange behavior, and he looked as if he wanted to question him on his actions. Oh gods Nico really hoped he didn’t, it was too early in the morning for him to formulate a proper lie. The younger half-blood swallowed around a lump that had suddenly seemed to lodge itself in his throat as the older demigod’s eyes roved over his attire, his sea green gaze hardening noticeably as he took in the bold letters of the Camp Jupiter logo. “Is that Jason’s?”

Nico snorted derisively, the sound coming out more nervously than he had planned, and he was left desperately hoping that the action didn’t sound too forced. “N-No, of course not! Hazel brought it for me when she came down to visit a while back.”

“Isn’t it a little…big?”

“Yeah, she kinda overdid it huh? I guess she was hoping I’d be able to fill it one day.”

Percy nodded as Nico forced laugh, his eyes still moving up-and-down the younger demigod’s small form, making him fidget uncomfortably as his uneasy laughter died down. The young hero cleared his throat, his hands anxiously fiddling with the fabric of Jason’s t-shirt. “So, what brought you over to my…ah, neck of the woods?” Nico inquired with a forced nonchalance, uneasily crossing his arms over his chest.

The older half-blood looked to the younger teen’s face, sufficiently snapped from his slightly wary stupor. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Nico gave an eager nod, hoping to get this over with as soon as possible. He was fucking tired, and he wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed alongside Jason and soak of the blonde’s warmth. And he needed a shower. A shower would be very nice. But first Percy had to leave. “Alright, so talk.”

Percy blinked curiously for a moment, losing his serious expression for a few seconds as he studied the younger demigod’s features carefully, searching for some emotion Nico didn’t know of. Guilt? Adoration? Lust? Gods, he was clueless. “Can I come in? It’s a little early, and I’m pretty sure some of the patrol harpies are still out, so…”

Nico’s felt his stomach drop at the question; _of course_ he would ask to come inside, why wouldn’t he? It wasn’t as if the Fates had it out for him or anything. Hurriedly, he shook his head, his eyes wide and frantic though he attempted to remain calm. “Ah, no…it’s… _a mess_ in there.”

“That’s fine, I don’t mind,” Percy moved to take a step forward, and on impulse, the younger half-blood pushed the door shut further, a tight smile on his features as he peeked out, only a sliver of his petite form visible through the small space.

“No, ah, let’s talk in your cabin.”

“My cabin isn’t any better,” Percy pointed out with a shrug, moving to push the door open.

“That doesn’t matter; I’ll get dressed and be out in a second, okay?”

“But—.”

Nico slammed the door shut loudly, inwardly wincing as he realized that Jason was still asleep not too far away from the door. With a slight grimace, he twisted the lock, making sure Percy wouldn’t attempt to force his way into the cabin. If he did, he sure wouldn’t be pleased at what he saw.

Gods, this was really bad. Nico certainly didn’t want a repeat of a few days ago, and if Jason got up and saw Percy at the door, this time it most likely _wouldn’t_ be the former praetor who was fuming, it would be the son of Poseidon. And he’d be damned if he’d let Percy put his hands on Jason in such an aggressive manner again.

Nico paused midway to his dresser, blinking in surprise at the thought that came so naturally—so _easily_ —to him. He would _not_ be one of those overprotective boyfriends—wait, scratch that, he and Jason weren’t even dating yet. Yet? Did that mean he wanted it to happen in the near future? Well, Jason _did_ say they were taking this slow…so did that mean they were going to date?

The demigod shook his head, attempting to free himself at the thoughts that were sure to send him down a quite puzzling path.

Besides, it was only natural for someone to want a person they cared for to be safe at all times; it didn’t make him an overprotective _anything_. He was just…fretting. _Gods, Jason really rubbed off on me last night_.

Nico couldn’t help but blush at the thought as he realized that not only did Jason metaphorically rub off on him, he _physically_ did it as well. Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, Nico pulled open a drawer, snatching out a pair of his usual black jeans and sliding them on as quickly as possible. If he made Percy wait any longer, he might attempt to force his way in, and Nico _really_ couldn’t have that type of drama in his life when things seemed to be going so well at the moment.

Soon after he had his pants pulled up, he was shoving his socked feet into his new Converses—he didn’t even want to talk about what happened to the other pair. When the son of Hades was finally ready, he made to move towards the door before he heard a the soft rustle of blankets coming from the spare bed—the bed he and Jason had occupied the previous night—and he spotted the blonde demigod shifting comfortably, pulling the covers up to cover his shoulders.

Nico felt a warmth spread through his chest at the sight of Jason in his bed, his face relaxed and unworried, much like it had been last night, and his arms gripping a large, fluffy pillow snuggly. And the younger demigod couldn’t help the way that he was drawn to the blonde’s side, that handsome, sleeping face beckoning him forward despite Percy’s impatient calls on the other side of the door. When Nico stopped at the bedside, he slowly lowered himself to his knees, bringing himself face-to-face with the Roman half-blood. On impulse, he reached out, his fingertips brushing over that sun kissed skin with something akin to reverence, and eventually, his fingers dove into those seemingly gold-spun locks.

Jason made a soft sound of content, and the corners of Nico’s lips tipped up in response absently as he ran his fingers over the blonde’s scalp. For a moment, he forgot all about Percy on the other side of the door, all of his attention falling on the son of the king of the gods, who seemed to have him, Nico di Angelo, the frigid some of Hades, enamored. As he studied the blonde’s handsome features, he noticed his lids twitching, and before he knew it, he was met with brilliant sky blue orbs, still hazed with sleep. “Hey,” Jason murmured, apparently too sleepy to notice the sound coming from outside of the cabin, and his voice rough with sleep, sending chills down Nico’s back.

“Hey yourself.”

A small smile lifted the corners of the blonde’s lips, drawing the younger half-blood’s attention. And right then, Nico wanted to kiss those lips, to feel them against his own, no matter _who_ was on the other side of that door.

And so he did.

Jason made a soft, sleepy sound of surprise as Nico pressed their lips together, and almost instantly, their kiss deepened, tongues languidly tangling and eyes falling shut serenely, the sound of Percy’s muffled voice on the other side of the door diminishing until it didn’t seem to be there anymore. Jason made a soft, content humming sound in the back of his throat as he reached out, tugging on the younger demigod’s shoulders in a rather sleepy attempt to get him back on the bed.

But right as Nico was ready to acquiesce to the older demigod’s wishes, he remembered the reason—that was still irately banging on the door—he was awake in the first place. This was the only driving force that caused Nico to pull away, his lips tipping up in a fond smile at the sound of discontent the older demigod made. “Neeks?”

“I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Where are you going?” Jason slurred, his eyes already dropping with exhaustion, and Nico felt heat engulf his face as he realized how worn out the blonde must have been at the previous nights activities.

Nico remained silent for a moment, stopping himself before he had a chance to spout the lie that was already forming on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t _want_ to lie to Jason, but did he really have a choice? If he told the blonde half-blood that he was going to talk to Percy, the Roman was sure to wake up fully and march up to the son of the sea god and demand to know what they were going to talk about. And gods, that would just be bad.

“I’m going to pick up my armor from the armory,” he finally responded, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“I thought you kept your armor in here?” the blonde inquired, his eyes already lowering tiredly.

“I needed to get it cleaned. Anyways, I’ll be back later, okay?”

“Mhm,” Jason hummed, his eyes promptly falling shut, and Nico ran his hand through his golden blonde locks one last time before he rose to his feet, quietly making his way towards the door.

Casting a quick, longing look back at not only the bed he ached to be in, but the son of Jupiter he ached to be beside, he unlocked the door, slipping outside of the cabin and closing the entrance behind him with a soft sigh. When he turned, he was startled to find how close he was to the son of Poseidon, not only unintentionally caged in by his larger form, but by his arm which was still hovering in the air mid-knock.

Once upon a time, Nico would have _killed_ to be this close to Percy, once upon a time, he longed for this closeness, for this attention from the older demigod. But once upon a time he did _not_ have Jason. And with that thought in mind, he ducked beneath the elder demigod’s arm, taking a few steps away until they were sufficiently spaced out. Percy frowned at the distance between them, but didn’t attempt to close it again. “Who were you talking to?”

“Hazel,” the younger demigod blurted out with a forced coolness, attempting to school his features. “She Iris-Messaged me.”

Percy nodded, and gestured in the direction of his cabin. “Let’s go then.”

Nico trailed behind the son of Poseidon, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans as the two walked in a rather abnormally awkward silence. Usually, the silence would have been filled with flirty smiles as well as comments coming from the older demigod, while Nico blushed under the attention shyly. But today, both teens were silent, their gazes focused on different things in the landscape. But despite the uneasy and apprehensive air, Nico knew what he needed to do.

He needed to end things with Percy. And he was ready to do it. He was ready for a fresh start that went by the name of Jason Grace.

** Jason’s POV **

Jason woke a few moments after the younger demigod left, an absent, slight smile on his face as he slowly sat up, the comforter tumbling down his bare upper body at his movement. How in Jupiter’s name was he supposed to sleep after a wake-up like that?

To wake up that morning to the sight of Nico’s smiling face…it was breathtaking, and so not what he was expecting. A few days ago when Jason had woken up after the Aphrodisiac incident, he had been in bed alone, and the atmosphere in the cabin was stifling, even while they were in different rooms.

But today…today was the complete opposite. Jason could truly say that he was happy, _more_ than content with everything that was going on. He knew what he wanted, knew _who_ he wanted, and that made him feel giddy with joy, like a kid hyped up on their favorite sweet treat. His favorite treat went by the name of Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, Ghost King, and to him, Pouter Extraordinaire.

But he liked that pout, and was rather fond of the lips that formed it. Gods, he was sure he could kiss Nico all day if the younger demigod let him. The feel of him, the _taste_ of him was addicting, and this was not the type of addiction he wanted to rid himself of.

It was true; he and Nico had crossed into new territory, and events of the previous just cemented that fact. They weren’t dating, no; it was too soon for that after everything that had happened. But if he wasn’t mistaken, they were somewhere close to it. For the time being, they were taking it slow, and seeing how things went with one another before they chose to give it a title. But what were titles anyway? Words that merely defined you were to everyone else? Jason didn’t _want_ words. He wanted Nico and what they felt towards one another—or at least what he felt towards him—was too great to be defined by words.

He didn’t love Nico, of that, he was fairly certain. It was much too early in the game for that though some of what he felt towards the younger demigod could easily fit into the “love” category—or what everyone else believed love to be. But Jason wanted to find out what love was by himself. He didn’t want anyone’s definitions of beliefs. And most of all, he didn’t want to run the risks of potentially stringing along Nico like he had unintentionally done for Piper. No, this time would be different. Because he would take his time with Nico; they would take everything slow. No matter how fast they took things last night.

Jason felt his face begin to burn as he pulled the covers from his barely clothed form, making his way out of bed languidly.

Last night…last night was _amazing_. But as much as he enjoyed himself, he knew he and Nico had gotten a little too caught up in the heat of the moment, overcome with newfound feelings for one another and relief that they with alright with one another once more. They would eventually ease into things like that, not dive in head first, because last night was _definitely_ not taking it slow. But afterwards, Jason couldn’t deny how at ease he was, how _content_ he was with things. He liked being this way with Nico, liked when they weren’t fighting or ignoring one another.

And besides that, Jason knew where his monumental rush of joy was coming from; from the fact that Nico had promised not to be with anyone else. Call him selfish, or simply call him Roman, but Jason did not intend to share the son of Hades with anyone else. For Juno’s sake, he was barely okay with sharing the younger demigod’s affections with the son of Poseidon. He was jealous of Nico’s love Percy, or whatever it was, be he was reassured that Nico had promised not to act on those feelings, to devote himself to Jason while they tried things out. And Jason promised to do the same.

Jason moved around the room, gathering up articles of clothing that he had previously left in the younger half-blood’s lodgings a while back, heading towards the bathroom area when his arms were full.

Once, he had been envious of the way Nico looked at Percy. But not anymore. He now realized that when Nico looked at the son of the sea god, there was not only affection in his dark orbs, but confliction as well. Jason didn’t want that when Nico looked at him. And he couldn’t help but be relieved that he wasn’t on the other side of those looks. He wasn’t quite sure what he saw in the younger half-blood’s chocolate brown depths when he looked at him, but that was okay. He had time to figure it out. And he was grateful for it.

As the blonde stripped out of his boxers, he found himself humming a tune he remembered back from Camp Jupiter that was frequently played at parties from the time he was little to the present, and though he had heard it for the majority of his life, the lyrics always seemed to escape him, but the rhythm always stayed. Jason’s humming grew louder as he stepped into a shower stall, too content to even frown when the spray of the water was ice cold.

Moments later, he was finished, and he looked at the clock, remembering that he had promised to meet up with Leo before breakfast, and to walk to the dining pavilion with him. The clock read seven thirty, and Jason’s eyes widened, giving a perfect view to his bright, sky blue orbs as he realized that he was ten minutes late. He cursed, haphazardly drying himself off and running the towel through his hair before he snatched on his underwear—this one a surprisingly clean pair that he had left behind and Nico had apparently cleaned…kind of awkward, but endearing as well. He knew Leo typically showed up about fifteen minutes after the set time, so really, he shouldn’t have been rushing, but he couldn’t help it. He was a stickler for decorum, and showing up late was most definitely not his thing; maybe a little bit early, but never late.

Jason quickly yanked on a pair of dark blue jeans, frowning as his damp fingers fumbled with the single button. “Come on, come on,” he mumbled, smiling toothily when he finally got the cool, metal button through the slit.

For a moment, the Roman half-blood obliviously looked around for his purple Camp Jupiter t-shirt, pausing in his movement of searching beneath the bed when he realized Nico was still donning his clothing. With a slight smile and a fleeting chuckle, he stood from the floor as he spotted another of his Camp Jupiter merchandise—this one a hoodie he had once let the son of Hades borrow. Quickly, he moved over to the bed, pulling away the pillow that was nearly obscuring the article of clothing from his view. Had he not been in such a rush, he would have stopped to ponder the fact that his hoodie was stowed beneath Nico’s pillow, like a child would hide away a stuffed animal to keep it from becoming damaged.

Jason mentally shook himself of the thought, promising to revisit this topic when he had time, and right now, he had none of that. After he pulled on the hoodie as well as a pair of tennis shoes, he was racing out of Nico’s cabin, dodging past mingling clusters of demigods with blurted apologies whenever he bumped into someone and polite “excuse me’s” if he found someone in his path. “Jason!”

Jason looked ahead at the childish exclamation, and a smile stole over his handsome features as he spotted Callum, one of the youngest campers, standing beside his older brother Cayden, wrenching his small hand out of his brother’s to greet the son of Jupiter. “Hey, Cal,” he breathed out as he rushed by, making sure to ruffle the young half-blood’s strawberry blonde curls, his smile growing at the petulant sound of indignation the boy made as he continued on his path.

The former praetor was nearly at the Hephaestus cabin, he and Leo’s meeting place, when a familiar demigod intercepted him, a charming smile on his features. “Hey, Jay Jay,” Emilian’s uniquely colored eyes were shining brightly as looked up at the blonde demigod.

Jason didn’t know when Emilian had started calling him “Jay Jay,” but it wasn’t something that bothered him enough to stop the son of Aphrodite from calling him that. He was almost one hundred percent positive Nico wouldn’t like it though. The thought brought yet another smile to his face, and Emilian seemed to take that as a good sign, reaching up on his toes and throwing his arms around the Roman’s neck, the scent of his designer perfume strong, but not sickeningly so.

Jason froze, his eyes darting around warily before he briefly returned the demigod’s hug, making sure the son of Hades wasn’t around before he did so. He really didn’t want to argue with Nico over something so trivial after their amazing night yesterday. “Where were you yesterday?” Emilian demanded petulantly, his arms crossing over his chest as when he pulled away from the blonde.

“What do you mean?”

“You promised to take a walk with me after the campfire,” Emilian poked out his lower lip, his dark lashes lowering demurely.

Jason inwardly sighed. Emilian had a tendency to do things like this, to lie about missed get-togethers when he wanted to spend time with the Roman. First, Jason had believed that he had really been making plans with the son of Aphrodite and forgetting about it, but soon enough, he realized that Emilian merely wanted his attention. The other day, he had heard Drew calling him an attention whore, and much to his dismay, a part of him agreed. But Emilian couldn’t help the way he was. He was an only child with a parent who didn’t pay much attention to him, so sue Jason for wanting to indulge him for bit, he couldn’t help it.

“I did, didn’t I?” Jason smiled, and Emilian peered up at him through his dark lashes, nodding slowly.

“How about we hang out during the first hour of free choice?” the blonde offered, remembering that he had somewhere to be, and that he might have been even later than Leo would have been at this point.

Emilian smiled, sheepishly running a hand through his midnight black hair. “It’s a plan.”

“Good, I’ll see you then!” then Jason was off once more, breaking into a full out run despite the minimal distance between himself and Leo’s cabin at this point.

The blonde skidded to a stop in front of the cabin of Hephaestus when he spotted a rather frazzled Leo pacing in the pathway, his hands stuffed into the confines of his precious tool belt and pulling out various items before they were stuffed back into the depths.

“Leo!” the elfish demigod jumped, a few bolts falling out of his hands and onto the ground with a muffled clatter as Leo’s ochre eyes widened.

“Gods, I’m sorry,” Jason blurted out, immediately dropping to the ground to recollect the fallen objects, uncaring of the dirt that was more than likely to stain the knees of his jeans. “I’m sorry I’m so late, I was taking a shower, and I just lost track of time, and then Callum wanted to talk, and Emilian too—.”

“It’s fine, Superman,” Leo mumbled, removing an oil-stained hand from his tool belt in favor of receiving the his slightly dirtied bolts and dropping them back into his tool belt, a fidgety hand running through his dark, curly locks, which seemed to be more unruly today than they usually were.

Jason’s relieved smile dropped almost as soon as it appeared as he assessed his best friend, his brows furrowing as he heard Leo heard what he thought were curse words in Spanish. “You alright there, Leo?”

Leo’s head snapped up so quickly, Jason expected there to be a dismaying cracking sound of his neck. But the young Latino snorted. The sound almost as forced as the goofy, wavering grin on his lips. “Of course. Piper just wore me out ranting about how _The Titanic_ is better than _The Notebook_ for the better half of the night. I’m just tired.”

The blonde nodded, but the look in his eyes reflected his disbelief of his friend’s statement, but he decided to change the subject for the time being. When Leo wanted to talk to him, he would; even though getting the Latino half-blood to talk was even harder than getting Nico up in the mornings. But as he had learned long ago, if you pressed Leo about his problems, he completely shut down and shut you out and, and Jason didn’t want that. Gods, interacting with Nico so much gave him an even deeper insight on Leo that he never thought was possible.  Jason smiled absently at the thought of the younger demigod, but before he could get lost in la-la land, Leo was speaking to him, the tone of his voice teasing, but genuinely curious as well. “What’s got you smiling like that at seven o’clock in the morning?”

Jason slapped a hand over his mouth hiding his smile, and Leo grinned mischievously, though his ochre orbs were still clouded with some unnamed emotion as the Roman’s cheeks darkened to a hot pink color. “N-Nothing,” Jason cleared his throat, picking imaginary lint pieces from his hoodie. “Piper wasn’t too upset when I left, was she?”

Leo gave a small shrug and began walking in the direction of the pavilion, a smile on his impish face that may have passed for normal, but the frown creasing his brow kind of ruined that effect. “Just a little. But could you blame her? You always go M.I.A. when you’re with Nico, and we’ve finally had some time to hang out with you these past few days, so she—and I of course—are a little worried that we’ll lose our third Musketeer again.”

Was that what put Leo in such a state of disarray? Jason winced, keeping pace beside the son of Hephaestus as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. He didn’t want to be the one responsible for putting Leo in such a state of concern. “I want to hang out with you guys, you know that, and I always will; you and Piper are my best friends, and that’s not going to change. And this time is different anyways; I’ll be around more often, and I—.”

The blonde paused as the son of Hephaestus leaned in, seeming to inspect something that was most definitely not the Roman’s face. “Leo, what are you—?”

“Jason, is that a…hickey?”

Jason blinked, leaning away from the impish half-blood. That was the last question he expected. Maybe…he had misheard or something…? “Huh?”

Leo moved closer to his side, ignoring the blonde’s protest for personal space as he squinted his eyes, his gaze fixed on the apparent hickey on the column of the Roman’s neck. “You heard me, Boy Wonder.”

Just to reinforce his point, Leo lightly jabbed his forefinger on the place beneath the lobe of his ear, slightly beneath the area where his jaw meet the appendage so that the mark still counted as being on his neck. Jason snatched a hand from his pocket, slapping it over the area of skin, and successfully moving Leo’s hand out of the way when he began to prod at it suspiciously. “I…it’s just…a…bug bite…?”

Leo snorted, his eyes rolling as he took a step back, giving the blonde the space he had been adamantly demanding. “Yeah, I’m not buying that. Who’s it from?”

Jason had one of two options: to tell Leo who had given him the hickey, and risk an awkward atmosphere for the rest of the day. Or, he could come up with something that wouldn’t quite be a lie, but wouldn’t be the complete truth either. Yeah, that would work—“It’s from Nico, isn’t it?”

Well there went his wonderful plan.

Jason ran his forefinger over the love bite that he had yet to see, barely retaining a slight hiss of unexpected pain causing him to yank his hand back. Apparently, Nico had been a little overzealous when marking him, and though Jason hadn’t noticed in the moment, he sure noticed now. Besides, it wasn’t half bad considering it was the first hickey he had ever gotten. It actually felt pretty good. He wondered if he had anymore, and if so, where would they be?

The blonde barely caught himself from pulling on the collar of his hoodie to see if there were anymore darkening bruises. “You gonna answer me, or are you just going to leave me hanging, Superman?” Leo watched him carefully, a strange look in his eyes. Was that… _hope_?

“…Yeah, it was, Nico.”

In an instant, that hope was squashed, and Leo was back to quietly cursing in Spanish, a grimace contorting his features. “So, if I find him, he’s probably going to be sporting a similar accessory this morning?”

Jason felt his face heat up with embarrassment, and he was almost positive he was a bright red color at the moment. “Um, probably. I don’t know if I…gave him any…I forgot.”

“You forgot?” Leo asked skeptically, a dangerous, almost desperate look in his eyes. “What the hell do you mean you forgot?”

“Exactly what I said, I forgot…are you sure you’re okay?” Jason asked, his eyes widening as Leo’s nostrils flared unattractively.

“No, I’m not okay. I’m tired of keeping secrets!”

“What do you—?”

“I want you to be happy, but I’m sick and tired of pretending that Nico is a perfect, innocent angel who does no wrong. Gods, he’s fucking playing you, Jason!”

And just like that, Jason’s good mood dissipated, and fear reared its ugly head once more, making the blonde doubt the son of Hades, doubt everything Nico had said to him last night. And as his certainty in the younger demigod attempted to slip away, Jason grabbed hold, refusing to let unless he truly had to. “Stop it, Leo,” Jason snapped, hands clenching into fists at his sides at the need to defend Nico and his intentions. “I don’t know what’s up with you, but—.”

“The only thing that’s wrong with me is the fact that he’s messing with you, Jason,” Leo stressed, the look in his eyes begging for the Roman to hear him out, to listen to him. But Jason didn’t want to. He was finally happy with where he and Nico stood, and he didn’t want anyone ruining that.

“He doesn’t care about you the way you care about him. Gods, it’s just a game to him, and it makes me sick to my stomach,” the son of Hephaestus continued, and Jason shook his head stubbornly, refusing to believe the words that came out of his mouth.

“I’m leaving, I don’t want to hear this anymore,” the Roman turned and began to continue his trek to the dining pavilion, alone this time.

“Jason—.”

“Come and talk to me when you’re in a better mood—.”

“For Zeus’s sake, would you listen to me?”

“No, I’m done listening—.”

“If you would just take your head out of his ass for a moment, you’d realize that Nico is hooking up with Percy, Jason!”

That froze the son of Jupiter right in his tracks. All air rush out of his lungs with a _whoosh_ , and left him feeling as if he had been punched in the gut. He was numb, from his head to his toes and the sensation left the tips of his fingers tingling, with what would normally be a pleasurable feeling, but right now, it was anything but. Jason turned slowly back to the son of Hephaestus, afraid to face what could or could not be the truth…but he had to know. “He’s… _what_?”

Leo had both hands slapped over his mouth, his ochre eyes wide and gradually filling with remorse. “I…he…”

“He’s hooking up with _Percy_?” Jason croaked, and he caught the way Leo flinched at the sound of his voice.

For a moment, neither demigod moved, nor Jason could barely find it within himself to breathe as he waited for Leo’s response. Eventually, Leo nodded slowly, his remorse giving room to resignation as his hands fell to his sides in defeat. “Yeah…he is.”

Jason couldn’t feel anything when he held his breath. In this state, his emotions couldn’t get to him. But he needed to breathe, he needed to feel to make sure this was all truly happening, that this wasn’t some sort of twisted nightmare. So he exhaled.

And on come the onslaught of emotions.

Jason nearly stumbled as his emotions crashed into him like a tidal wave, having the potential to knock him straight on his backside. Gods, it _hurt_. Everything hurt. The tingling sensation in his fingertips was replaced by an uncomfortable prickling sensation akin to the one in his eyes. And as he watched the son of Hephaestus, he began to wonder why the world was becoming so… _hazy_.

And not only was he hurt, no, he was embarrassed. Embarrassed at putting himself out there, only to do the one thing he wanted to avoid from the start; getting hurt. And that led to him being angry, a white-hot anger that nearly overpowered his hurt, but no. His hurt was everywhere, in his toes, in his ears, in his mind, and in his chest. Gods, his chest hurt.

When he blinked away the haziness, he realized Leo was standing before him, a hand reaching out towards him to comfort him. But he didn’t want comfort. He wanted the truth. He wanted for this to never happen. He wanted to have one day where he could be truly happy, where he could stop making everyone else happy, and be happy _himself_ for a change.

But he couldn’t even have that.

“Jason—.”

The Roman shoved past his best friend, blindly walking. He didn’t know where, he just knew he needed to go as hurt, angry tears burning the back of his eyes and clogging his throat, making it harder to breathe, especially when Leo spoke next.

“I…I’m sorry.”

** Nico’s POV **

“So…how have you been? I haven’t really seen you around lately…and whenever I ask Drew, she threatens to castrate me.”

Nico forced a smile, the expression almost as forced and uneasy as Percy’s laugh, the nervous sound making him grimace inwardly. “I’ve been fine, what about you?”

“Same…same…”

And once again, the room fell to silence, both demigods fidgeting uncomfortably as they wracked their brains for things to say, desperate to fill the tense atmosphere with any other sound than their breathing. This was so… _awkward_. Nico and Percy never really sat in silence like this. When they were alone together, the silence was usually filled with moans and grunts of pleasure, nearly drowned out by the smacking sound of their bare skin connecting.

Nico winced at the thought, and he was barely aware of the son of Poseidon catching the movement.

For all the good sex he had with the son of Poseidon, the amount of regret was most definitely not worth it. Throughout their fling, or whatever one wanted to call it, Nico never really felt the full force of remorse for his actions. But gods, he was feeling it now.

He was selfish. And thank every god and goddess above for Jason, who helped him to realize that. He had felt that he was entitled to Percy, that he had a right to sleep with him for some pitifully twisted reason he could barely explain himself. Now he was seeing through his own bullshit, and goodness was he in the wrong. So very wrong, about everything, including the son of Poseidon.

The more Nico looked into his feelings for Percy, the more ridiculous he felt. He had blindly fallen for the son of the sea god based on what he thought he knew about him at a young age. Being with Percy was like…adopting a puppy. Once you saw its cute, big eyes in the window of the pet store, you were immediately hooked. You just wanted to take it home, and love it. You didn’t want anyone else to have it, and you swore up and down your affections for the puppy were genuine. But when you brought the puppy home, everything changed. The puppy was a lot of work, and was rather expensive to take care of. Not to mention that it ruined your things, pooped everywhere, and generally just wore you out.

But what were you supposed to do now? You had already brought it home, and there was no returning it now, especially when you were so afraid to let it go. What if the new owner didn’t love the puppy as much as you did? What if the puppy missed you too much and you were left feeling guilty? What…what if as soon as you let it go, you changed your mind and wanted it back, but it was too late, and by the time you went back for it, someone had already adopted the puppy, leaving you with lingering stains on your carpet and useless bags of dog food and ruined clothes. What would you do then?

Obviously, he was afraid to let Percy go. Percy was his comfort zone, the person he had always through of and gave him hope when he was on the verge of giving up, of leaving and letting go. Percy was the reason he had stayed at Camp Half-Blood, putting up with the blatant stares of distrust from various campers because of his hope that one day, Percy would notice him. That he would drop Annabeth for him and finally return his love.

But he wasn’t that shallow little boy anymore. He knew now, as much as he still hated to hear, that Percy would never be with him, that he would never truly be _his_ , as much as he wanted him to be. Percy was in love with Annabeth, though he had a really shitty way of showing it. Annabeth was Percy’s girlfriend, and he needed to realize that. Annabeth and the son of Poseidon were supposed to be in a committed relationship, and he was ruining that by sleeping with Percy. He had nothing against the daughter of Athena except for the fact that she had something that he had so desperately wanted. _Had_ desperately wanted. He didn’t want him anymore. Getting to know Percy, he realized he wasn’t as amazing as he had made him out to be in his mind. He was the only person to blame for his disappointment. But despite that, he was still afraid to let Percy go, but he needed to do it. He wanted Jason now. Of that he was sure.

The son of Jupiter just felt… _right_. And gods, he had always thought the term “opposites attract” was a cheesy, stupid expression couples used to explain why they were so different to make themselves feel better, to hide the reality that they really had nothing in common. But he was wrong, oh-so wrong. He and Jason were _complete_ opposites, and yet, they were irrevocably and inexplicably attracted to one another. Something in Jason just appealed to him, brought him to him like a moth with a flame, unable to draw back even if he wanted to. At first, he had only believed that he had begun to develop feelings for Jason because of the fact that the son of Jupiter was the only one to show him comfort and understanding in his time of need. He was the only person he could trust completely to talk to—not about everything, especially not things with Percy, but his could talk to the blonde about feelings towards him. But now, he realized that wasn’t it, if it was, he would have fallen for Drew the moment she had shown him any semblance of understanding. Thank Zeus’s pompous ass he didn’t.

If love was what he felt towards Percy—his love having once been a raging fire slowly and unwittingly began dwindling down until it was merely a pile of glowing embers, still there, but not as strong as it was before—he knew he wasn’t in love with Jason. But could he really base his definition of love on _this_ experience? Besides, he had been young when he had come to love Percy, and that had all grown out of the fact that the older demigod was his Mythomagic hero come to life. But he wasn’t a kid anymore, he didn’t want a Mythomagic hero anymore, he wanted Jason.

And hell, if Jason wasn’t better than Mythomagic by a tenfold.

“What are you think about?” Percy questioned when an uncharacteristic softness to his voice.

What was he thinking about? He was thinking about Jason and how much he _really_ wished he was back at his cabin with the son of Jupiter, stealing his body heat and the occasional kiss or two as they lay in bed alongside each other. Fuck, he sounded like a lovesick teenage girl. But it was true. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to be with Jason, taking “baby steps” as the blonde had oh-so helpfully suggested. He didn’t want to be here. _This_ was what he was trying to get away from. He didn’t want to be one of those people who took five steps forward and then four back. No, he wanted to start over, and never look back, as scared as he was to do so. But if being scared for a few moments meant having Jason, he wouldn’t hesitate to say what he needed to.

But he didn’t say that to the elder half-blood. No, he would keep those thoughts to himself for the time being. “Nothing, I’m just trying to remember if I told Hazel when I would visit next.”

Percy nodded, but he didn’t look the least bit convinced at his explanation. If anything, the son of Poseidon was acting rather strange today. Nico had thought that Percy’s “wanting to talk to him” meant that usual thing, that he wanted to have sex, and the younger demigod had prepared himself to fend off advances. But much to his surprise, they were no advances for him to fend off. Upon entering the cabin, Percy had taken a seat on his bunk, rather far away from Nico, but the young Italian couldn’t really complain. It was just strange, that was all. Especially when Percy drifted of pensively, his sea green gaze fixed on the abalone walls in his cabin.

Well, Nico couldn’t wait all day to get this out. He had to let the son of Poseidon know that they couldn’t continue this…whatever it was that was going on between them. “Percy—.”

The older demigod held up his hand, and Nico closed his mouth, cutting off his own words before he finish his sentence, his obsidian colored brows furrowing with a scowl. “Just…can I get this out? Hear me out first, okay?”

Nico nodded hesitantly, almost cautiously as Percy fiddled with his hands, looking rather… _guilty_? “I…I just wanted to apologize.”

Well, that was rather unexpected. Percy never really apologized, but Nico couldn’t blame him. He didn’t know the extent of things he needed to apologize for, and that was no one’s fault but his own, for not communicating with the older demigod sooner, before things got any further than they were now.“For what?” Nico pressed, his raven colored brows raised in surprise and well as expectancy as he peered at the son of the sea god through his midnight colored fringe.

Percy let out a long exhalation of air, looking rather troubled as he clasped his hand before him, attempting to put an end to his aimless, nervous movements. “Holy Hera, I knew you weren’t going to make this easy on me…but, I deserve it.”

Before Nico could give his two cents, Percy was rushing on, his eyes clenched shut and his rather dazzling sea green eyes obscured. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for lying to you, and getting into that stupid fight with Jason. I…I’m an idiot, I know it, but I just don’t want to lose you—.”

“You don’t get to say that,” Nico cut across, immediately tensing all over at the older demigod’s words.

Percy cracked his eyes open, his lips—the lips Nico had come to know very well—twisted into a frown. “Don’t get to say what?”

“That you don’t want to lose me. You don’t get to say that because you never _had_ me.”

Percy scowled, his dark brows furrowing. “You—.”

“I was a fuck to you,” Nico spat bitterly and rather bluntly, unable to help himself now that he had started. “That’s all it was. You never had any real feelings invested in… _this_ , or in me either.”

“Why do you always say that?” Percy sighed out, his sea green eyes glittering with faint irritation and exhaustion.

“Because it’s true.”

“No, it’s not. What do I have to do to prove it to you?”

“Nothing—.”

“And why is it that’s always _me_ who’s in the wrong, the one who ‘supposedly’ has no feelings invested in this, what about you, huh?”

Nico’s jaw slackened at Percy’s statement, at his oblivious implications. “Of course I had feeling invested in this, you idiot!”

“You sure have a strange way of showing it.”

The nails of the younger demigod’s fingers were biting into his skin, a painful stinging sensation taking place, but he didn’t release. Strangely, the pain helped him to feel grounded. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

“If I knew what you meant, I wouldn’t be asking you.”

“I’m trying to apologize here, and you just want to fight—.”

“No, I want to be done with you,” Nico forced out, looking Percy dead in the eye when those sea green eyes turned on him.

“ _What_?”

“I can’t do this anymore. I don’t _want_ to. I’m done, okay?” Nico stood, but paused as the son of Poseidon stood as well. “Percy…” the younger demigod eyed him cautiously, wincing at the hurt he saw brewing in the older demigod’s orbs at the wary action.

“Gods, you don’t even care about me, _or_ trust me!” Percy exclaimed, shaking his head. “It’s amazing that after years of knowing each other, you can barely even turn your back on me. Thanks, it makes me feel wonderful.”

“I _did_ trust you, and look where it got me. You _lied_ to me!” Nico snapped, watching as Percy looked away guiltily, his tanned arms folded across his chest stiffly.

“Yeah, well you weren’t always ‘Honest Abe’ with me either,” Percy shot back, his chin lifting a notch.

“What are you talking about?”

“You and Jason,” Percy tipped his head to the side with a cynical grin. “And don’t even try that ‘we’re just friends’ bullshit. I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I’m not the dullest either.”

Nico’s mouth snapped shut at that, and his jaw worked silently as the son of Poseidon studied him closely, with a slight shake of his head. “I knew it. You slept with him too, didn’t you? That’s why you reek of sweat, cum, and regret.”

“Maybe I did,” Nico snapped, looking up and meeting Percy’s sea green gaze head on. “And I don’t regret it.”

He wasn’t afraid to admit what he had done with Jason. People could call him whatever they liked, but doing things like that with the son of Jupiter felt _right_. He had felt natural last night, and sure, he had been nervous, but it was a good kind of nervous that made you feel giddy and excited. He didn’t know if he had ever felt that way with Percy, but he didn’t care anymore. He wanted Jason.

“Of course you did, that’s just like you.”

“You don’t even _know_ me,” Nico growled out, taking a step forward and glaring up at the son of the sea god. “How would you know what’s ‘like me’ or not?”

Percy gave a growl of irritation. “So why does _he_ get to know you after, hell, about _a year_ of knowing you? I’ve known you since you were ten years old, what is that? Six years now?”

“I’m _seventeen_ ,” the younger demigod hissed from between clenched teeth. “And the fact that you never took the time to get to know me is your fault, don’t pin that on me.”

“It _is_ your fault! You never let me in; you were always pushing me away, keeping me close enough to be an acquaintance, but far enough away to never be closer.”

“Why would I keep you closer when all you do is bring me down?!”

Percy looked up, shaking his head in disbelief, the hurt more prominent in his eyes, as he was apparently at a loss for words at the time being. Nico hadn’t meant for it to come out like that. Not at all. He had meant that before, when he was around the older demigod, he brought him down because he loved him, and he was so close, yet so far from him. So far away that Nico thought he would never be able to handle having a normal friendship with it, he just couldn’t have gone on pretending that he wasn’t in love with the son of the sea god. But he didn’t get to explain that, and nor did he think to do so in his current state of agitation. “Wow. This,” Percy motioned between the two of them jerkily, “was the biggest fucking mistake I’ve ever made in my life.”

“Care to expand on that?” Nico glared up at him, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

“Sleeping with you was the biggest, most idiotic mistake I’ve ever made in my life. That clear enough for you?”

“Crystal,” Nico hissed, but before he could even bite out a retort, the sound of a sharp intake of breath as well as the clattering of an object that he suspected was rather large, drew his attention to the door of the cabin, and he felt his breath stall in his lungs at the sight of the one person he least expected to burst in at that moment, a large, black suitcase lying haphazardly on the floor beside them.

Percy visibly paled, his normally tanned skin taking on a sickly insipid color as his mouth worked wordlessly, and he rose up from his bunk at the same time Nico did, nearly hitting his head. “So, you two _are_ sleeping together.

That strong, unwavering voice had his hands trembling at his sides, the taste of fear strong in the back of his throat as that strong voice demanded his undivided attention.

He wouldn’t have been able to look away if he truly wanted to. Nico swallowed around the lump in his throat as those stormy gray eyes landed on him, the female demigod’s face devoid of any emotion though her eyes said it all.

“Annabeth…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop there it is.  
> I literally just threw the moment the majority of you all have been waiting for, in your faces.  
> *tosses up band-aids like confetti*  
> Also, please keep in mind that the POVs from the chapter are concurrent. So while Jason is learning that Percy and Nico are hooking up, Annabeth pops up at the Poseidon cabin. Overwhelming, I know.  
> I know you all are probably reeling from the content in this chapter, but I have a quick poll for you guys *she says optimistically*.  
> Alright, remember, this question HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS STORY AT ALL. I just had to make that known.  
> Kay; vampire Jason, or vampire Nico.  
> I'm merely curious. This is just a random as fuck question, cause I was reading a book about vampires. So yeah. Me and my randomness.  
> ANYWAY!  
> Tell me what you thought about the chapter. [ :  
> Luv you alls, and thanks for reading. x
> 
> Okay, I have to warn you all ahead of time, because you all are amazing, and because of that, I think I should give you time to prepare. Chapter 22 will undoubtedly be one of the most angsty chapters I write. It's going to throw you for a loop, and you'll finally begin to realize how the title of this fic, "Forgetting You", was created. Now, we're really starting to get into the plot, and things won't only be centered on Nico/Jason/Percy/Annabeth's drama, but on the disappearances of the the other demigods.  
> But rest assured, after an angsty chapter, I will seriously be overloading Chapter 23 with Drew, because some comic relief with most definitely be needed.  
> I feel like I'm scaring you all. o_o  
> Sorryz.


	22. Forgetting You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He would forget him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Here were are.  
> The beginning of the plot is here!  
> It took us a long ways to get here, but we finally made it!  
> Thank you all for the kudos, lovely comments, bookmarks, subscriptions, and for merely reading the story, it truly means a lot.  
> Goodness gracious, I'm making this sound like this is that last chapter, which it is not, just saying. [ x  
> Anyway! In this chapter, you all will finally find out where the title of the story came from. Prepare yourself fro a crazy amount of angst. This has to be my angsty-ist chapter yet, so. o_o  
> Thank you to my wonderful beta Wookiecookie for helping me to smooth down the rough edges of this chapter, and for putting up with my grammatical shenanigans.  
> Let's get this started then. [ ;  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and suggestions are loved. Enjoy, darlings. [ ;

** Nico’s POV **

All was silent in Cabin 3 as Nico and Percy waited with bated breaths to see what Annabeth would say. Nico had dreamt of this day happening, had imagined it happening much differently than it was now, and though the imaginary scenarios in his mind seemed much worse, _this_ was the worst. Not Annabeth screaming or yelling at them, or raising her fists against them, but simply watching them with _that_ look in her eyes.

And though the female demigod was doing a good job of not showing it, he could tell that Annabeth was hurting. He could see it the way her hand tightening exponentially on the handle of her luggage when each of them made the smallest of moves, he saw it in the way her lowering lip was trembling in a way that was barely noticeable if you weren’t looking close enough. And lastly, it was subtly in the tense atmosphere, slowly eating Nico up from the inside out with guilt.

And with their fight pushed to the back of his mind, Nico was able to fully assess the son of Poseidon, standing their silently. And gods, if he thought _he_ felt guilty, Percy surely looked the part. The son of the sea god’s normally tan skin had seemed to change back and forth from a sickly green color, to an ashen pale that made the older demigod look like he was on the verge of fainting or vomiting. He surely looked like he could do both. And for a moment, Nico felt a twinge of sympathy for Percy. Too caught up with himself, he hadn’t even realized the toll of their actions had taken on Percy. But he saw it now, and he knew, despite his previous beliefs, Percy had been just as much as trapped in this twisted little relationship as he was. Over the past month and a half or so, he had come to believe that Percy didn’t care about cheating on Annabeth, that he didn’t realize how wrong it was. But now, looking at the son of Poseidon, he now realized that he did every bit as much as he did.

So what stopping them both from letting go before things had gotten too far?

When Annabeth’s stormy gaze landed on him, he head an undeniable urge to shrink back, to flee the scene and hide from his mistakes like he had been doing for weeks upon weeks. But he couldn’t do that anymore, and honestly, he believed Annabeth would come tracking him down if he tried. And that would be bad, _gods_ , that would be terrible. Especially if Jason found out.

Nico felt his heart give an extra hard _thump_ at the thought of Jason finding out about his misdeeds with the son of Poseidon. It wasn’t as if he was never planning to tell the blonde about his actions, it was just that he wanted to do it on his own time. When _he_ was ready and knew Jason wouldn’t snap after being told. And he just knew that with Jason and Percy’s fight still fresh, that it could happen again, and he didn’t want that. Even more than that, he didn’t want to lose the son of Jupiter. Gods, if he lost Jason…he wasn’t sure _what_ he would do. But he couldn’t think about that. He just had to make sure that this didn’t get out. If it didn’t get out, he was in the clear until he decided to tell the former praetor of Camp Jupiter about his actions himself.

Nico jumped, snatched from his thoughts at the barely audible sound Percy had made, his sea green eyes following Annabeth’s every movement, just waiting for her to speak much like Nico was. He really hoped he wouldn’t have to be the one to make the first attempt at speaking. That would really screw this already fucked up situation further. But, he felt the need to apologize, to grovel at the daughter of Athena’s feet and beg for her forgiveness. And though he wouldn’t take it _that_ far, he knew they couldn’t just stand here in silence, watching one another, waiting for someone to make the first move.

So screw it, he would be the one to do it.

Before Nico would even open his mouth, Percy was swallowing loudly, his eyes glued to his girlfriend. “Annabeth—.”

The female demigod shook her head adamantly, cutting the son of the sea god off before he had a chance to say whatever it was he had drawn up the confidence to. Annabeth let out a long, shaky sigh, her impassive façade cracking for just a moment for Nico to see the raw emotions running across her lovely features. Then it was all gone. And Annabeth was drawing herself up to her full height, her chin lifting a notch as she regarded the two before her stoically. “How long?”

Her voice was like a whip, sharp, stinging, and straight to the point. Both Percy and Nico’s gazes met for a moment before the older demigod looked away, clearing his voice unsuccessfully. “Annabeth, I—.”

“I said _how long_ ,” the daughter of Athena demanded, and Nico bit down on the inside of his cheek harshly, not releasing even when the taste of blood became potent on the tip of his tongue.

“A little more than a month,” Percy rasped, averting his gaze shamefully, as Annabeth stared at him, her steely gaze unwavering.

“Who else knows?”

Nico remained silent, staring at the hardwood floors beneath his feet, wishing that they would crack open and swallow him up, refusing to release him until everything was solved, and he would be okay to survive in the world of the living. But as much as he hoped it, he knew the chance of that happening was slim to none, unless his father was feeling particularly fatherly and decided to scoop him up like he had done Persephone eons ago. Despite his need to be honest with Annabeth, he refused to rat Drew out, to bring her further into this situation than she already was. He didn’t want her being brought down with him when word of this finally got out. And it _would_ get out, some way or another. As Jason had once said, secrets didn’t say secrets long at this camp. And Zeus almighty was he right.

“I’m taking that the silence means no one else knows?” Annabeth seemed to direct the question at him, but Nico didn’t look up, sure that he was meet that stormy gray gaze once again. And he wasn’t quite ready for that.

“Right,” Percy answered softly, and Nico snuck a quick look at him, wishing that he could know what was running through his mind right now.

Once again, all was silent in the cabin; all that was audible were each demigod’s breaths, all at different paces. Annabeth’s breathing was calm, but Nico could tell that it was a forced calm by the way her nostrils flared as heavily as she exhaled. His and Percy’s breaths were coming in more rapidly than hers were, and he wouldn’t have been able to calm his racing heart if he wanted to.

Then, the silence was broken with a harsh laugh, and simultaneously, both Percy and Nico looked up, their gazes on the daughter of Athena as she gradually began to calm from her laughter. “I don’t even know what to _say_ to either of you,” she mused, her head tipping to the side in a curious manner. “There’s just so much…”

Nico clenched his sweaty fists and the female demigod’s eyes took on a glassy texture, his teeth continuing to break skin within his mouth. “Gods, I just…” Annabeth’s voice was quavering now, and Nico could see that her cool mask was beginning to crack under all the pressure. “Fuck!”

Nico flinched as Annabeth kicked furiously at her luggage, sending it sprawling away from her as she turned on her heel, her breathing labored as she slapped her hands over her face, obscuring her profile from view. And like a moth drawn to a flame, Percy moved forward, slowly, and cautiously at first, until they heard what seemed to be a choked sound from behind the blonde’s hands. “Annabeth, I’m so—.”

The daughter of Athena jerked away from his touch, her eyes shining with unshed tears when she removed her hands from her face. Nico should have known better than to think that she would cry in front of them. They were her enemies right now, and you never showed weakness in front of the enemies. It had been ingrained in their minds from week one at the camp, and you made no exceptions. Even if your enemies were your boyfriend and the boy you had watched grow from the time he was ten.

“Don’t you dare,” she hissed out, her body tensing all over. “Don’t apologize when you don’t mean it.”

“But I _do_ ,” Percy stressed, his sea green eyes pleading for the female half-blood to believe him. “Gods, Annabeth, I love you—.”

“You think _this_ is love?” Annabeth jabbed a finger in Nico’s direction, simultaneously taking a step away from her boyfriend—if he was that anymore. “Cheating on me with someone I consider like family—like a brother to me?”

And hell, if that didn’t make his guilt grow by a tenfold. He never, in a million years, would have thought that Annabeth viewed him as someone so close to her. But then he realized, all these various times over the years where Annabeth had tried to make him feel included, had tried to get to know him better, were not just to help Percy feel less guilty about Bianca’s death, but to help ease the pain of her death with Annabeth attempting to step into her shoes and take on the older sister role.

He really was a fuck up.

Annabeth turned on Nico suddenly, and the younger demigod found himself taking an involuntary step back at the look in her eyes, the look he knew all too well. It was the same look of pain he used to wear when he saw her and Percy together. “Why, Nico?” Annabeth was searching his face for answers, but Nico refused to meet her eyes. “If this was about getting back at me after the whole Capture the Flag thing, _I’m sorry_ , okay?”

Nico felt his throat closing up as he stared at anything but Annabeth’s eyes. “It’s…it’s not that,” he stammered almost inaudibly, inwardly wincing at the meek sound of his own voice.

“I know what it is, but I just…I thought you cared about me enough not to do anything.”

Nico meet her eyes at that, and his blood ran cold as he realized it. She knew. She _knew_ he had been in love with Percy all this time, yet she hadn’t done, or said a thing about it. Why?

“It didn’t _mean_ anything, Annabeth. It was…it was just a fuck.”

Nico nearly stumbled from the onslaught of emotions that overtook him as Percy threw the words that he had so bluntly spoken back into his face. Despite his newfound want for Jason, that _hurt_. To hear the person you had been in love with since the young age of ten so blatantly dismiss you, fucking hurt. Sleeping with Percy _had_ meant something to him. Once, he had thought that Percy felt it too, felt that love and adoration Nico had felt towards him, and he had hoped against all hope that Percy returned his feelings.

But now he realized he was wrong.

After all the time Percy had adamantly denied that he was just a sex outlet, or a sex toy, and promised that he care for him, Nico finally found out the truth. He had never thought it would hurt that much.

Nico felt the telltale prickling sensation of tears in his eyes as he zoned out the rest of what the older demigod was saying. His explanation of how things had happened, attempting to make them both look innocent. But they were. They we oh-so guilty, and nothing he could say would change that. “—Nico?”

The younger demigod gradually dragged himself back to reality, looking up at the son of the sea god through hazy orbs. “It didn’t mean anything, did it? Tell her that it didn’t, that it was just a fuck to you as much as it was to me.”

In the silence that passed after Percy’s pleading, Nico stared at him, his face slowly crumpling until he was sure his emotions were visible on his face and he was almost positive he would break down in front of the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Athena. And he would never let them see that happen.

So he fled.

He briskly walked towards the door, his heart in his throat as Percy called out to him questioningly. He didn’t look up when he passed Annabeth, didn’t want to see the look on her face, and didn’t want her to see the look on his either. “Nico, where are you going? Tell her—.”

Nico slammed the door shut behind him as he exited the cabin, greedily gulping down the oxygen that seemed to be evading him. All at once, he wanted everything. He wanted his mother. He wanted Bianca. He wanted Hazel. He wanted Persephone. He wanted Dionysia. He wanted Drew. Hell, he even wanted his dad. But most of all, he wanted _Jason_. He wanted to drown his sorrows in the blonde’s strong arms, his face buried in his chest. He wanted Jason to kiss him breathless until he forgot his miseries and until all that was left was the two of them, in their own private corner of the world where everything was okay, or as close to it as it could be.

And though he knew he had no right to, Nico sought the son of Jupiter out.

** Percy’s POV **

Percy stood dumbfounded as the door slammed shut behind the son of Hades, leaving him alone with Annabeth, her gaze heavy, and weighing him down.

How in Poseidon’s name had he gotten himself into this?

Well, that was a rather easy question to answer. The day Nico had come to his cabin seeking company, Percy had been afraid. Annabeth had been talking about what they would do after college, about whether they should get an apartment together off campus so that they could see more of each other.

And Percy just freaked.

He remembered when it happened clearly, how _he_ had been the reason this whole mess had started. He and Nico had been playing Madden, a football videogame that the younger demigod had been losing miserably, sitting beside him and cursing rather colorfully when Percy won again. And before Percy had realized what he was doing, he had set down his controller, and he was leaning over and kissing the son of Hades, swallowing his curses. Nico had tensed at first, making a sound of surprise, and Percy had had his eyes clenched shut, waiting for the younger half-blood to push him away and to direct his curses at _him_ , not the television screen.

But then the complete opposite happened.

Nico had slowly but surely relaxed against him, his lips timidly moving against his own and he had hesitantly pulled Percy closer by his t-shirt, spurring the older hero on.

And thus began the screwed up relationship of Percy and Nico. The two of them sneaking around and lying, just to be tangled in the sheets with one another without any idea of what it meant, or how wrong they were for doing what they were doing.

Sleeping with Nico was not the brightest decision he had ever made, matter of fact, it had to be the stupidest by far. He had been _happy_ with Annabeth, more than happy actually. So why had he gone and screwed things up? Contrary to his actions, he loved the daughter of Athena, more than anything. But at the same time, he didn’t want to let Nico go. He knew for a fact, and could say confidently, that he wasn’t in love with Nico. So why had he continued to sleep with him? Because of what Nico symbolized for him.

As stupid as it sounded, Nico was a free spirit, he did whatever he wanted, and didn’t care about what anyone said about his actions. Nico _was_ freedom, and by being with him, Percy felt free to do what he wanted as well. But with Annabeth, he felt contained, and locked up, like sealing the deal with her was pulling him farther from his freedom.

If it wasn’t obvious to him by this point, it was now; Percy Jackson had commitment issues.

He was afraid that by only being with Annabeth, he would lose any semblance of freedom he had. But with Nico, he _was_ free, though he still had the daughter of Athena by his side. In a way, he was using the son of Hades, and though he knew it needed to stop, he was afraid to let him go, to let go of his _freedom_. Nor did he want to hurt either of the two. By continuing to sleep Nico, he would hurt Annabeth, especially if the daughter of Athena found out. He wasn’t sure of the extent of Nico’s feelings for him, but he knew if he stopped sleeping with him, he would hurt the son of Hades. Nico thought Percy didn’t see the wounded looks he snuck in his direction whenever he was with Annabeth, but he did, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

He didn’t want to lead Nico on, but that was exactly what he had done. He didn’t want to hurt Annabeth, but that was what he had ended up doing as well. So what was he supposed to do? Yeah, he knew that by being with Annabeth he was making an obligation to be loyal to her, but what about his fidelity to Nico? Before this mess, he and Nico had been… _okay_. He couldn’t really say that they had been friends, seeing as the younger demigod used to distance himself from Percy at anytime that was possible. But he hadn’t wanted to lose the bond he had formed with Nico by sleeping with him. When he had said that sleeping with Nico hadn’t meant anything, it had been a lie. He had gotten to know the son of Hades on a whole other level, a level he hadn’t even known existed before. He had gotten glimpses of the younger demigod’s more playful, relaxed side, something he hadn’t seen in years. Had Jason ever seen that side of Nico before?

With a bitter sound in the back of his throat, Percy realized, yes, Jason probably had seen that side and more. And that hurt. Not because of the way one might think, but because after all the years Nico and Percy had known one another, he let Jason—someone he hadn’t known for _nearly_ as long as he had known the son of Poseidon—in. But he refused to let Percy in even a little.

And if he was being honest with himself, _that’s_ why he detested Jason. He was jealous of the bond that the Roman and the young Italian had, something he had been striving to have with Nico for years. And to see Nico kissing Jason only made that jealously grow. Despite the urgency of the kiss, Percy had _seen_ the way it not only had Jason relaxing, but Nico relaxing as well. Was the son of Hades ever that comfortable with _him_ , even when they were sleeping together? Furthermore, Percy _knew_ that it wasn’t the first time the two had kissed, no, they had to have locked lips on multiple other occasions lest the fight may never have happened between him and the son of Jupiter because Jason would have been too distracted with shock to even contemplate fighting.

“You’re such an idiot,” Annabeth said suddenly, dragging him from his thoughts.

He looked from the door to her, her arms folded across her chest and her eyes red rimmed though she had yet to shed any tears. “I know—.”

“No, you don’t. He’s in love with you, Seaweed Brain.”

With that small statement, the world seemed to freeze around him. He didn’t even get to dwell on the bitterness in Annabeth’s voice when using the nickname that had once been endearing. It was like they were twelve again, and the nickname “Seaweed Brain” was less endearing and more of an insult as it once used to be. But he didn’t think about that for too long. “He…he _what_?”

“He loves you.”

No, that was all wrong. Nico couldn’t love him. If he was in love with anyone, it would be Jason. It…it just wouldn’t make sense for him to love Percy. After all, he had blamed and hated him for his sister’s death, having not gotten over it until a few years ago. And Percy was just a fling to him, if he had any sort of feelings invested in him it would be…platonic…or so he thought. But then again, it would make sense. A _lot_ of things would make sense if it was true, and Nico really did love him. The looks he snuck in his direction, the way he always seemed to hurt when Percy would ever talk about Annabeth, the way he always looked so content and at ease when he was in the older demigod’s arms after they slept together. His jealously, his attitude towards the daughter of Athena, his…

Fuck, Nico was in love with him.

“Shit,” he hissed out, slapping a hand over his eyes, his fingers tightly grasping a few strands of his hair.

If Nico really did love him, he had really screwed things up, and not just today, but over the last month or so. All those times they argued, and Percy had called him less than self appraising names, the times where Percy would compare Nico and Annabeth, the times where after they slept together, the older demigod would almost immediately kick the younger out, and so much more. All the signs, they were _there_. The crestfallen looks Nico gave him whenever he approached him, not for anything other than sex.

It was no wonder Nico was going for Jason now, after everything he had put him through. How many times had he made the younger demigod cry? And now it explained why Nico never walked away from him, why he always persevered no matter _what_ he did or said to him. Because he loved him. He…loved _him_. “I…I never knew,” he muttered, more to himself than to his girlfriend…if she was even _that_ anymore.

“Of course you didn’t,” Annabeth watched him carefully, looking almost apprehensive as her mouth worked silently for a moment. “Do you…do you love him?”

“No. I care about him, just…just not on that level,” Percy words were loaded with remorse, his shoulders drooping under the weight of his choices, and their outcomes.

“Then why did you sleep with him?”

Percy grew silent, worrying his lower lip between his teeth, not stopping until he was almost sure he would break skin. Should he tell Annabeth? On top of everything, did he really want her to view him as a coward too? “ _Percy_ —.”

“Because I was scared,” he blurted out, averting his gaze studiously.

“Scared? Scared of what?”

“You…you just started talking, and making plans for the future, and I freaked out, okay? I don’t _know_ what the future holds, and what if you get tired of me?”

Annabeth opened her mouth to apparently protest, but Percy cut her off with a dubious look. “I mean, come on. You’re…you’re just you. Smart, and beautiful, and I’m nothing like that. I know that know we find our differences to be endearing, but what if the things we don’t have in common start to annoy you? Like the fact that I can’t even pronounce a fourth of the Greek gods’ and goddesses’ names, or that I barely understand architecture like you do? What if, in a few years, I really commit myself to you, and then you decide that I’m not enough and you want someone else. Someone smarter and better looking, someone you can connect to on an intellectual level. What am I supposed to do then, now that I’ve dedicated everything to you and you’re not _there_ anymore? What am I supposed to do without you?”

Annabeth stared at him, her lips slightly parted in shock and her stormy gray eyes wandering over him and softening ever so slightly. “Why didn’t you _tell_ me?”

“Because I don’t…I didn’t want you to…to view me any differently than you had before. I didn’t want you to think I was a coward!”

Percy looked up at his girlfriend finally, and he met her gaze, that feather gray that told him he had royally screwed up. “And you don’t think I view you differently _now_? Gods, Percy, I think you’re a coward _now_ —.”

“See what I—?”

“No, I don’t think you’re a coward because you told me. I think you’re a coward because you _didn’t_ tell me, and you fucking _slept_ someone instead of telling me! Not only do I think you’re a coward, but I think you’re an asshole, and you’re a douchebag, and _gods_ , Percy, why would you do this to me?!”

Percy watched as the first tear trickled down Annabeth’s face, watched as the blonde scrubbed at her eyes furiously, a single, soft, pitiful sound escaping her lips. “And I don’t even know why I’m crying right now, because you don’t deserve these tears.”

All he could feel was guilt. Guilt that Annabeth was standing before him and struggling not to break and he couldn’t do a damn thing to fix it, because _he_ was the one who had caused her such pain. And not only had he hurt Annabeth, but he had been hurting Nico, long before he had began to hurt the daughter of Athena, and he didn’t realize it until now. And what was he supposed to do? Apologize and blindly hope that’d she’d forgive him? He was smarter than to hope for something like that. Gods, he’d be lucky if she didn’t hate him at this point.

“Just…just don’t hate Nico for this, okay?” Percy began quietly, his gaze fixed on the ground. “It’s my fault—.”

“It’s _both_ of your faults, he’s in this as much as you are,” Annabeth cut across, and Percy looked up from the ground to meet her gaze. “And you won’t even apologize?”

“Would you forgive me if I did?”

Annabeth watched him pensively for a moment, and the son of Poseidon could see her struggling to reign in her emotions, to put up a wall with him that he hadn’t seen in years. “No, I wouldn’t. I…I don’t—I _can’t_ do this with you anymore. I can’t go through everyday wondering if you’re doing it again, if you’re cheating on me with someone new. I can’t sit on the sidelines watching, and waiting for you to be ready for commitment, I can’t do that.”

He knew it was going to come. He had mentally prepared himself for it. But gods, preparing himself was not enough. He felt a sharp pain in his chest that he knew that he had no right to feel, when _he_ was the cause of this, the reason why this was happening in the first place. He had screwed up, and no amount of apologies could fix that, because Annabeth was done with him. He could see the resolve in her eyes and knew that no matter what he might say; her decision would remain the same. She wasn’t wrong for breaking up with him, no, she was so very right. After everything he had done, he didn’t deserve her. He had been so afraid of being with, _and_ without her, and now the choice was snatched from his hands.

He was without her, and it hurt more than anything he had ever experienced before.

“I…I need to go.”

Percy watched through hazed eyes as Annabeth quickly gathered up her suitcase, and turned to leave. Should he stop her? Did he have the _audacity_ to do so? Should he tell her that he loved her? No, because at this point, she wouldn’t believe him, and he knew if things had happened the other way around, he wouldn’t believe her either. So silently, he watched as she left, taking a part of him with her, and it hurt that when she stepped out of the cabin, that she didn’t even spare him a glance, didn’t say a single words to him as she left, letting the cabin door fall shut behind her softly.

Now, he was alone, left with the regret of his decisions. He was completely and utterly alone now.

And then the tears that he didn’t even deserve to cry fell.

** Nico’s POV **

Gods, why was his life so…fucking _dramatic_?

He knew it was “the norm” for demigods to have complicated lives, knew it was rather abnormal if their lives were simple, but why did his have to be so damned difficult? Nico pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes willing himself not to cry. Though he had said it thousands of times before, he was so _sick_ of crying. Goodness, before this whole mess had started, he was never an emotional person, after the death of Bianca, he…well, he just stopped _feeling_.

He stopped caring unless things directly affected him, and even then, he was never really reacted to a situation. It was hard for him to sympathize with people—not matter how selfish it sounded—because he didn’t believe anyone could go through as much as he had in a lifetime. His mother had been taken away from him by the king of the gods at a young age, he’d been trapped in Lotus Hotel and Casino with his older sister as his only guardian, then when they finally left that gods-awful place and were taken in to Camp Half-Blood, his sister died, leaving him alone at the young age of ten. So, after everything he had been through, _why_ in Apollo’s name would anyone’s misfortune being a blip on the radar to him?

Things used to be so simple when he thought that way, goodness; he had been able to contain his love for a certain son of Poseidon, and the pain at seeing him with Annabeth was muted by a tenfold, but of course everything had to change. And that change went by the name of Jason fucking Grace.

Jason had changed _everything_ for him. The son of Jupiter made him feel, feel things that he hadn’t felt in a long time—the good, the bad, _and_ the ugly. Along with that, Jason had taught him the value of not only friendship, but affection. Before, Nico had viewed friendship as something akin to camaraderie, a relationship in which you’d have their back in times of need—usually war—and they’d have yours in return. Jason changed that for him, taught him that friendship was not only letting someone be there for you, but being there for them as well. He taught him that it was okay to feel things, to cry, and to be imperfect, and that no matter what mistakes he had committed, that he would still be accepted by him.

At first, Nico had doubted the blonde’s words, because…for Hestia’s sake, _who_ could be that… _kind_? But gradually, he had come to believe in Jason, not that _everyone_ would accept him for who he was, but that the Roman would at least do so. Up until this point, he hadn’t doubted him. Now though…now, he was skeptical of the blonde’s words. Nico had faults galore that Jason had looked over—his uninviting attitude, his potty mouth, his supposed promiscuity—but the younger demigod was seriously beginning to doubt whether or not this _particular_ fault could be looked over.

And that was the fact that he had been sleeping with Percy for a little over a month.

Gods, would Jason even _want_ him after he found out just who he’d been with? The blonde had been okay with learning that he had “slept with five people”—or so Jason thought—but Nico doubted that he would be okay if he found out just _who_ he had slept with. If Jason found out that he had slept with Percy, Nico wasn’t even _sure_ exactly how he would react, but he was almost positive that the former praetor would be livid.

And ultimately, he would want nothing to do with him.

Nico couldn’t help the chill that ran down his spine at the thought. Jason finding out about he and Percy would be a complete and utter nightmare…especially if the blonde found out that it was the son of the sea god who took his virginity. Up until a week ago or so ago, Jason had believed him to be the pure, blushing virgin much like he was. And Nico couldn’t blame him, seeing as he certainly—and unconsciously—played the part. Despite his many times having it, the thought of sex _still_ set his face aflame, nearly turning him into the perfect shade of a cherry.

But no matter how much he wished he could feed into Jason’s misconception, he couldn’t. Nico mumbled an apology when he bumped into a camper—a child of Hypnos—who murmured the same, albeit sleepy apology in return, both demigods trudging along and continuing their paths.

Nico wasn’t exactly sure where he was going, he just knew he needed time to think, to calm down seeing as he had been so close to letting his tears spill back at Cabin 3. And their lay another issue he was internally battling over; his oh-so weak…gods, what would one call it? His weak _self_?

Months ago, if you were to ask the younger demigod if he viewed himself as weak, he would have scoffed in your face. Nico didn’t believe he was better than anyone because his father was the god of the Underworld—one of the largest domains—as well as a god of the Big Three. No, despite the fact that he knew it made him stronger in the abilities that he possessed, he didn’t think he was better than anyone, not at all. He just knew he wasn’t weak.

But times changed, and now, Nico wasn’t quite sure _what_ he was. He knew it was good to cry, to not bottle up your emotions and express yourself and how you’re feelings, but he also knew—or believed—that there was a certain point where you just had to learn how to suck it up, or else succumb to weakness. And for the past month or so, Nico had been succumbing to his weakness. And though he continued to do so, it made him sick to the stomach to believe that his father was right, that he _was_ weaker than his sister, no matter how much better he tried to be.

He knew a part of his weakness was the fact that he was not only being coddled, but that fact that he was essentially coddling _himself_. He let himself get away with _way_ too much, and though he did stop to berate himself, he knew it was always half-assed, and that he would continue on with whatever wrongs he was doing, as refuse to admit to them.

But he didn’t want to do that anymore. No, he wanted to change.

Nico wanted to be stronger, he wanted to stop crying about his problems and go out there and _do_ something about it, not just sit in his cabin and weep like a child who lost their teddy. He wanted to own up to his mistakes—to his faults—and right them. He knew it would be hard, and the results wouldn’t be immediate, but he had been putting it off for much too long, and he couldn’t continue to do so, not without losing himself and his self-worth completely.

And if he was truly serious about changing himself, his first order of business would be to own up to Jason, to admit to his lies, and confess that he had slept with Percy, and _had_ been sleeping with him for the past month or so. Nico winced at the metallic taste of blood in his mouth as his absently continued to chew on the inside of his cheek, unwittingly breaking skin.

He knew confessing to Jason would be hard, and it would take a lot of courage to do so, but Nico _had_ courage, and he had strength, he had just been locking it away to play the part of the pathetic, helpless victim. But not anymore. No, he was going to change, not matter how long it took him and how hard it would be. He wouldn’t let anyone walk all over him the way Percy had done ever again, nor would he be stupid enough, or weak enough to get himself into such a situation. And he _needed_ to make it up to Jason, the guilt over lying to the blonde was eating him up from the inside, out, and bringing him down day after, day, after fucking day. He couldn’t keep lying to Jason if he truly wanted to try things out, or to even be in a relationship with the Roman. Relationships were built on trust, not lies.

And he was a liar.

But he didn’t want to be anymore. He _wanted_ to be with Jason, but he knew he couldn’t be if he continued on with his destructive ways. He honestly didn’t even deserve the trust that had been given to him by Jason, but now he had a chance to truly earn it.

He wasn’t sure if he would confess to Jason today, tomorrow, or even the day after, he just knew that he would do it. And he would do it when he was ready. No, that didn’t mean he was wimping out, he just knew he wasn’t in the right emotion state of mind to address such a major issue like that just yet. But it would happen soon enough. And while he was at it, he could work on apologizing to Annabeth, though she more than likely would never, _ever_ speak to him again. But it was something to think about and—.

Nico grunted, steadying himself on his feet as he tottered precariously after bumping into someone. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. “Sorry,” he murmured, and his apology met silence, an ominous chill running down his spin as he looked up at the person he had ran into.

Gods, right when he needed him too. He didn’t think he would cry again, no, he had solved that problem, but he just needed to be comforted for a few minutes—five at the most. Nico gave the blonde a small, smile off greeting. “Hey, you,” Nico teased softly, sure he looked like hell with his eyes red rimmed, along with the expression of dismay with subtle hints of a newfound determination on his face.

He probably looked like he was fighting both the Titan War, _and_ the Giant War within himself.

The younger demigod frowned when he reached out to grasp one of the blonde’s hands and Jason jerked away from his touch, his jaw set and his normally expressive eyes closed off, making Nico unable to even get a glimpse of what was going on in his head. And what was even stranger, was the fact that they area around their eyes were matching—both being red rimmed. “Jace—?”

“Don’t call me that,” Jason snapped suddenly, his jaw clenching even further, and Nico’s frown only deepened at his no nonsense tone. “Just…don’t.”

“Okay,” Nico drawled, his obsidian colored brows furrowing with confusion as well as apprehension as the blonde stared at him, making him shift uncomfortably. “What’s your problem?”

Jason remained silent, his cerulean eyes studying him intently for about two minute before Nico had all he would take with of the tense silence. “Jason, I asked what the matter was—.”

“You’re hooking up with Percy.”

The blonde’s words were like the crack of a whip on his back, making Nico straighten up unwittingly underneath that intense gaze. He…he couldn’t have just said what he thought he did. No, that couldn’t be the case. Nico cleared his throat uneasily, giving a small shake of his head. “W-What was that?”

Jason eyed him closely, his hands delving into the front pocket of the hoodie that Nico held so dearly to him in order to stop his hands from fidgeting restlessly. “You’re hooking up with Percy, aren’t you?”

Oh gods no. He wasn’t ready for this. Not yet of all times, directly after his confrontation with Annabeth and Percy blatantly admitting that he was nothing but a fuck to him. He wished he had more time, more time to explain things to Jason when he didn’t look so distraught and on the verge of snapping. He wished he could have admitted his wrongdoings to the blonde when _he_ was ready. And who could have told Jason? Drew…well she was the only person who knew, and Nico knew for a fact that she would never say a word. She _couldn’t_ say a word, she had sworn on the River Styx.

So who would have told Jason?

Nico felt frozen on the spot, his breath coming out in a rush by this point, and he found that he was not exactly sure of what to do, or what to say. Should he tell the truth, should he lie? No, he had just told himself that he was done with that, and would try and refrain from doing so; he couldn’t break that promise to himself that easily. Beside, lying was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. “ _Are you_?” Jason pressed, looking more and more distressed with each second that passed in silence, and though his hands were hidden in the large pocket of the deep, purple hoodie, Nico could see his fingers twitching uneasily.

Without a second thought, Nico swallowed around the lump in his throat, attempting to push it further down so that he would be able to speak. But, the Fates seemed to be enjoying the game they played with his life a little too much, seeing as he remained unable to speak, and weakly, he opted to give his head a small, barely perceptive nod. But he knew Jason had seen it, and had been watching for it intently. He could barely contain a wince as he heard Jason’s breathing leave him in a rush, and when he peered by up, he caught sight of pain, so much pain. The blonde didn’t bother to hide, but behind that pain, was apprehension, and he knew that the Roman was afraid that he would confirm his fears. And despite his need to come clean to the blonde, he wanted to comfort him, to do anything to lessen the pain that he had caused. “Jason—.”

“ _No_. What—what did you two do?”

Nico was back to chewing on the inside of his cheek as he watched the son of Jupiter attempt to calm his harsh breaths, and the younger demigod tasted the bitter, metallic tang of blood on the tip of his tongue, but still, he didn’t let up on his chewing. “I-I don’t really want to—.”

“I didn’t _ask_ what you wanted. I asked what you two did, answer me.”

Nico found himself taking an involuntary step back at the blonde’s tone, and Jason, who past his pain still noticed the younger demigod. “I…I didn’t mean to snap, I…I,” Nico watched as Jason swallowed, looking more troubled than he had ever seen him before. “Just…please tell me.”

“I…” Nico’s voice wavered, and he pushed himself to go one, inwardly reminding himself of the changes he was to make to himself. But he didn’t _want_ to hurt Jason, and this was why he had refrained from telling him anything. But as he looked at the blonde, he realized that he had already been hurting him, more than he had ever known.

He needed to come clean to the former praetor, no matter how much it hurt them both. This was the first step, even if it was much sooner than he thought it would be, and hard, so fucking hard. He couldn’t keep lying to Jason, couldn’t keep acting like he hadn’t done something he was so very ashamed of.

“Just…please don’t tell me you two had sex.”

Nico averted his gaze, and cringed as he heard the blonde’s sharp intake of breath. “Nico—.”

“We did. We…we had sex,” he whispered, wishing that he could take the words back as soon as he said them, despite the fact that a part of him was inwardly celebrating because he was finally being honest. But the other part, the other part wanted to curl up and hide, hide from the words he had just spoken and the mistakes he made.

“You…you slept with Percy?” Jason breathed out, and Nico felt his chest clench with panic, and fear, those being the only things that stopped him from looking up at the Roman in that moment.

Nico paused in the unwitting destruction of the inside of his cheek, and bit down on his lower lip, giving another, small nod, his hands trembling at his side as he released his lip in favor of speaking. “Yes.”

“Oh my gods, _Nico_.”

The Jason’s voice broke on his name had the prickling sensation in the back of his eyes increasing. “I’m…I’m sorry.”

His voice was soft, and he felt his chest clenching tighter as Jason flinched back, and Nico knew if he had the gall to look up, the blonde would look as if he had been slapped. But he didn’t have the courage to look up, to see what Jason was feeling, to see the emotions he had caused him to feel. “How long?” the Roman desperately demanded, and Nico was screaming on the inside, wishing Jason would just stop, wouldn’t delve deeper into the situation.

“About a month or so.”

Jason inhaled sharply once again, and Nico dug his nails into the palm of his hands to attempt the trembling from stopping. He had to be strong, he had to be better, and he had to be honest—. “How many times?”

This time, _Nico_ sucked in a sharp breath, and he shook his head frantically, as if that would will the situation itself away. “J-Jason—.”

“No, just don’t,” Jason cut across, “How many times, Nico?”

Nico grew quiet, not out of obstinacy, but out of the fact that he was quite sure that he would vomit the next time he opened his mouth. “ _Nico_ —.”

“I lost count, okay?” he said in a rush, his nails digging farther into his palms in an attempt to distract him from the fear coursing through his veins.  “I…I lost count.”

“You…lost count? Gods, _that_ many times?”

Nico cringed at the tone of Jason’s voice, at what he was implying. “Yes.”

“And—and when you were drunk that one time, and you told me that you had sex five times for your birthday, it was with _him_?”

Nico kept his eyes trained on the ground as he answered, his voice scratching against his throat. “Yes.”

“And he was the only one?”

“Yes.” Nico’s head hung even lower at that, and he felt his heart skip a beat as Jason took a step back, away from _him_.

“ _While_ he was with Annabeth—gods, they’re _still_ together and you slept with him?”

When Nico finally looked up, he couldn’t withhold his flinch at the look on Jason’s face. Jason…he looked so utterly _crushed_ and defeated, and Nico could see tears pooling in his eyes, threatening to slip down his cheeks.

“I…I—.”

“Did. You did. Gods, you—you can’t even deny it, it’s all over your face.”

Jason’s tone wasn’t scathing, it was almost disbelieving, as if he has secretly hoped that the younger demigod had been lying to him, and was merely kidding with him. Nico couldn’t look away as Jason eyed him, this time in a new light, his eyes that the younger demigod adored so much brewing with repulsion and hurt, but anger as well.

“You’re a liar,” Jason declared. His tone icy and alien to the son of Hades. “And you’re—.”

“Please—.”

“—No. I can’t believe you would lie to me about this! After everything I’ve done for you, you go and do _this_.”

“It—it was before we—.”

“I don’t _care_. You still did it. Knowing how if felt about him, and _you_. Gods, I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I even believed you, why I ever…why I ever did that _stuff_ with you. And you knew how much it meant to me, Nico!”

Nico bit down harshly on his lower lip at Jason’s accusing tone. He could take this. He could do this. He deserved whatever Jason threw at him. He wouldn’t cry, he wouldn’t break down, he wouldn’t—.

“That’s just…after all he did to you, Nico, you go and sleep with _him_? Of all people. I guessing he’s the one who took your virginity too, isn’t he. _Isn’t he_?”

“Yes.”

Jason made a choked sound in the back of his throat, and Nico could see him clenching his fists at his sides, apparently attempting to stop the trembles that were shaking his larger frame. The Roman not only looked hurt, but he looked angry as well. And he had every right to be angry with him, every right to hate him and never want to speak to him again. He…he just wished he could have had a better, more convenient opportunity to admit his wrongdoings.

Nico swallowed around the lump in his throat, his eyes stinging, but he still refused to let his tears fall. He wouldn’t, he _couldn’t_. “I-I’m sorry—.”

“Bullshit. Complete and utter _bullshit_ ,” Jason rasped. “You were just playing me, just like Leo said you were—.”

“ _Leo_ , said that?” Nico inquired, looking past his own pain in order to register the blonde’s words completely.

“That’s not what matters here. What matters is that you were playing me like a fool—.”

“I’m not playing you, Jason! Why can’t you just believe me?”

“Because you’re a liar! And you do what liars do all the time. Gods, you do it so well too. You _were_ playing me! Everything you said to me was a lie. You were just using me the way Percy was probably using you—for _sex_.”

That hurt.

Gods, it hurt so much hearing such scathing words from Jason that Nico’s breath caught. All he wanted to do was confess to his wrongs and make things right. As much as he deserved this bashing, he didn’t want it—couldn’t _handle_ it—from Jason. Anyone but Jason.

Nico felt his lower lip trembling, and he sucked it into his mouth, bearing through Jason’s onslaught of words. His accusations, gods, his accusations; he sounded so much like Percy right then that it not only stung, but it _burned_ , because it was coming from _him_. He knew Jason was hurt by his actions, and at the moment, the blonde wanted anything but to feel that hurt, so he was choosing it hide it behind anger. Nico knew this because it was something he had done countless times…but that didn’t mean it hurt any less. By the time Jason was done, or had at least ran out of breath, he was trembling where he stood, tears pooling in his eyes as his hands shook uncontrollably at his sides.

He felt as if he could vomit, faint, and cry all at once. And he felt the urge to do so, be he couldn’t, not yet. Not when Jason was opening his mouth and Nico steeled what was left of his strength in preparation of the blonde’s hurtful words.

“I…I can’t do this with you anymore. I can’t keep doing this to myself, Nico. You…you ruin me and I let you. I can’t let you do it anymore. You…you know I would do anything for you, but I can’t stay…I can’t do this with you after this. Gods, I just can’t. I would _never_ do anything like this to you, but how is it that you can so easily do it to me?”

Nico felt panic rising in the pit of his stomach at the blonde’s words. Jason…didn’t want to do _this_ anymore? What did that mean? The he didn’t want him anymore, that he didn’t—.

“Why wasn’t I enough for you?” Jason asked desperately, his sky blue eyes seemed to bore into him, searching for an answer himself.

The younger demigod choked on the next breath that he took, and he shook his head frantically, his obsidian colored locks whipping around his face wildly. “Y-You _are_ enough, Jason, I-I- never meant to do this. Gods, it was never supposed to happen like this.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“ _Yes_ …just, not yet—.”

“So when?”

“I-I don’t _know_ , but I was going to tell you, Jason, I swear. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to f-fall for you, or sleep with Percy in the first place. Sleeping with him was a mistake that I’ll probably regret for the rest of my life, but in the same breath, I can’t regret it, because as fucked up as it is, it brought me closer to you. And—and I’ll never regret that.”

Nico felt his lower lip trembling as Jason shook his head stubbornly, shoving a hand through his golden blonde locks. “I can’t believe you, as much as I want to…I can’t. I-I…I have to go.”

Nico felt as if his heart was being ripped from his chest at those last few words Jason spoke, and finally, when he was unable to hold them back, he let the tears he didn’t deserve to cry trickle down his alabaster skin, leaving a wet trail in their path. But Jason didn’t see, or maybe, he just didn’t _care_. Not anymore. Nico’s worst nightmare had come to life, and there was nothing he could do to stop Jason from leaving his life forever.

“I’m sorry, J-Jace,” Nico breathed out, in a last ditch effort to get the Roman to stay with him, to just _believe_ him. “I never meant to…I-I meant everything I said—.”

“I don’t care,” the blonde said and the words sounded like they were ripped from his throat after a moment of silence of watching tears slip down the younger demigod’s pale cheeks. “You should have thought about that before you lied to me, and continued to sleep with him. You…gods, I…just don’t call me that. Ever again.”

Jason’s voice broke on his words, and he turned, throwing a hand over his eyes as if that would block out all that had occurred, that he had found out. And then he left without saying a single word to the younger demigod and leaving him behind with nothing but tears and regret.

And when the son of Jupiter left, Nico not only felt it physically, but emotionally as well. And inwardly, he grasped for that bond that he had with Jason, but in the end, he came up empty handed. But he knew he deserved it, and that he did _not_ deserve Jason.

But that didn’t mean it made losing him an easier. In fact, it hurt like hell. And he could barely breathe, his vision blurred with tears as the droplets of water continued to spill down his cheeks and down his chin, the fabric of _Jason’s_ t-shirt soaking up the liquid.

He couldn’t do this anymore.

He couldn’t stay at this camp and act like everything was all right, and that life would go on just fine. It _wouldn’t_. He knew the next few days would be the worst in his life, not only because Jason had left him, but because everyone at the camp would soon find out about he and Percy, about what they had done in secret…and everyone would hate him for it.

And he didn’t want to be there for that. He didn’t think he could handle it. He knew that not long ago he had promised himself that he would be stronger and shed no more tears, but…he had already broken a part of that promise of the salty liquid staining his clothing was anything to go by. So…why didn’t he just break the other part of that promise and do what he was best at.

Running away.

Besides, who was he kidding; he was and always would be weak. He was stupid to try and tell himself any differently, to try and change when there was no one for him to change for anymore. Nico swallowed back a sob before it forced it way out of his lips, leaving an aching sensation in his throat that seemed to spread to his limbs, increasing the pain in his chest by a tenfold. It all hurt. Everything hurt. And the fact that it stemmed from losing Jason made everything hurt even worse.

It turned out that his worst case scenario was even worse than the actual event that occurred. He hadn’t expected Jason to be so mad at him, had never expected to see such a side of him before. Sure, he had seen Jason when he acted that way towards Percy, but he had never expected such animosity to be aimed towards _him_ , not when the blonde had never looked at him with anything with adoration in his eyes. Gods and he knew that he deserved every single thing the Roman had said to him, had deserved to be walked away from.

And he couldn’t even hold it against Jason, because he had brought upon himself. Absently, he wondered if Jason would miss him if he left. But what would there be for him to miss? The lies? The deception? The hurt that Nico caused him? He was idiotic to believe that he would be missed, Jason was done with him, wanted nothing to do with him anymore. He was…he was repulsed by him. Nico saw it in his eyes, heard it in every word he spoke.

No, Jason - the only person who mattered to him at this camp - would not miss him, so what did he need to stay for?

So slowly, he began to draw in the shadows around them, letting them cling to his doubled-over, small frame loosely, the force of his tears rendering him so weak, he could barely stand upright. He knew he wanted to leave, but where would he go? Camp Jupiter was off limits, because though they were so far away, it wouldn’t take long for everyone there to hear about Camp Half-Blood, and the son of Hades who ruined Annabeth and Percy’s oh-so perfect relationship. Maybe…maybe he would wander around for a bit, until he could find somewhere to go, where he could stay and—.

 _To the Underworld_ , a rather tempting voice whispered in his mind, and through his misery, Nico was taken by how soft, and comforting the voice was in his mind. He never thought his own internal voice could come out so…sweetly.

Gradually, that voice coaxed him to continue drawing the shadows to his trembling form. That voice…that voice was so comforting in his mind, telling him that everything would be alright, that it had the solution to his problems, which he would leave his pain behind, and start over…just like he wanted to.

With tears still running down his cheeks, Nico followed the voice’s instructions, shadow travelling to the Underworld so quickly, the landscape of Camp Half-Blood was replaced by the time he blinked his eyes. Rapidly, he blinked past the haze of his tears, and he looked around, realizing that he must have gone to the wrong part of the Underworld. He was such a fuck up, he was too weak, too _stupid_ , to even get himself to the where he wanted to be.

_No, you are in the right place, just walk a little farther, and you will be able to leave your problems behind. Just a little bit more, Nico…a little bit longer._

Almost as if he was in a trance, Nico trudged along, only stopping occasionally when the force of his sobs took his breath away. But other than that, he couldn’t feel anything, couldn’t _see_ or _hear_ anything. He knew there were creatures of the Underworld around him, and in the back of his mind, he knew that it was strange that they hadn’t noticed him yet, had yet to attack him. Maybe he had absently concealed himself in shadows, yeah, that must have been it, but why wasn’t it sapping it sapping his strength then?

_Focus, Nico. Go to the River._

The River? But the River Styx was in the other direction… With that thought in mind, the demigod began to turn in the other direction, ignoring the ominous sounds of the Underworld creatures in the background as he focused on getting back to the River Styx. There, he would be with his father and Persephone, and maybe—just _maybe_ —they would ease some of the hurt he was feeling.

_No, you do not need that river, or your father and stepmother. You need the River, the one that will help you forget your problems; you want that, do you not?_

Yes. He wanted that so badly. But…Jason, he wanted him too. Could this special river give _that_ to him too? He doubted it. Nico’s cries echoed in his own ears, and he wondered how long it would be until some being of the Underworld would hear him too, and come ambling from the dark to end him. Would he even be strong enough to stop the creature from killing him if he was too weak to stop sleeping with Percy?

_You are strong, stronger than you will ever know. Forget about the son of Jupiter, and about the son of Poseidon, and the daughter of Athena, and forget about everyone else. All that matters is you. It is only necessary for you to remember yourself. Now, continue on your path if you wish to find the cure to your problems._

Nico found himself walking further, and _much_ longer than the voice said. By the time his feet were aching, and he was panting from the long trek paired with the force of his breathless sobs, he found himself at the bank of river that seemed to stretch as far across as the eye could see. But what was strange about this river was that the flowing water inside didn’t seem to be water…it was a milky white substance that seemed to have a rather serene, alluring quality to it.

He squinting, staring at the length of the river through his torrent of tears. What was this river?

_It is the River Lethe, you must have heard of it before._

The River Lethe? Yes, he _had_ heard of this river. To demigods, it was knows as the waters of Hypnos, the substance within the river having the power to wipe you clean of your memories with one little taste. He…he didn’t want that. Nervously, the son of Hades shuffled back from the river, but something stopped him from moving any farther. And almost against his will, he kneeled down until he was gazing into the milky white depths of the river, following the rippling movements and patiently waiting for instruction from that voice.

That voice…it was…it sounded so familiar. And not because it belonged to him, no, he knew what he sounded like in his own head, and that was not it. It was too smooth, too comforting, and reassuring. It was so soft and delicate, it was almost… _feminine_?

_That is not your focus right now. Forget. Taste the waters and forget. You can start over, Nico, don’t you want that?_

He did. He wanted to start over, to be a better person, to forget all of his pain. He could be stronger, smarter, and so much better than he was right then. Why wouldn’t he want that?

_Then taste the waters of the Lethe, taste and forget…_

Nico found himself reaching out towards the water, his fingertips skimming the surface and a calming sensation falling over him even as he continued to cry, his sobs wracking him frame.

_You will shed no more tears. You will not **remember** the source of your tears. Taste the waters and forget._

Nico stared into the waters of the River Lethe hesitantly as tears of sorrow streamed down his face. The voice said he wouldn’t remember the source of his tears; that…that was so _tempting_. To forget everything that had hurt him in his life. The fact that he was virtually parentless, the death of his sister, and the flare of pain he always got when the people who were supposed to be like him, and accepted him but avoided him. He would forget Percy and the pain that he had caused him, all those times he saw him with Annabeth and was so hurt by it, every single time the son of Poseidon insulted him, and he could _forget_ all of that. But most of all, he would forget Jason.

 

He would forget the warmth that coursed in his veins whenever they were together, would forget how contagious his smile was, his comforting embrace and his pleasurable touches, he would forget the way Jason looked at him and how it made his heart race in his chest to know that those looks were for him only, he would forget the initial friendship that he had with the Roman, and how he taught him that it was okay to trust, and that it was okay to himself. He would forget all of the good, but he would forget the bad as well. He would forget the scathing words Jason had spoken to him for the first time ever, he would forget that impassive mask that concealed the emotions on his sculpted face, and he would forget the faint look of disgust in his eyes when Nico confessed everything to him. And most of all, he would forget that Jason left him, despite promising that he never would. _That_ was what he found most tempting of all.

He would forget him.

He would forget them all and that pain they _all_ caused him.

He would forget Percy. And he would forget Annabeth. He would forget Piper and he would forget Leo too. He would forget Bianca, because she had caused him pain too, leaving him behind to chase a life of immortality with a bunch of strangers she had just met. Yes, she would have to go to. He would forget his father, and all the times Hades had told him that he wasn’t enough, that he would never be as good as his sister. He would forget everyone who had ever hurt him in the slightest, because they didn’t deserve to exist in his mind.

 _That’s it, Nico. Now taste…taste the waters and forget_.

In the back of his mind, through the temptation of simply forgetting, Nico registered that it most definitely was not his own voice speaking to him, tempting him to forget everything. But who had the power to get into his mind like this?

_Nico, you mustn’t forget your task. Taste the waters._

With a breathless sob, Nico sunk his hands into the waters of the River Lethe, watching as the milky white substance took the shape of his cupped hands. He could do this…he would never be a slave to his emotions or his desires again. He would never have to cry, or hurt like this again. He wouldn’t have a reason to anymore. There was nothing worth remembering…nothing at all. Just then, the image of a certain blonde demigod flashed in his mind, and for a moment, he merely stared at his hands as the water of the Lethe lapped against his skin. He wanted to forget his pain so badly, but at the same time, he _wanted_ to remember Jason. Jason…Jason made him happy. He was the first person in a while to ever do so, and Nico didn’t want to let that go.

_Forget him, Nico. You know it is better this way. Give him the chance to be happy without you, to find love with that daughter or son of Aphrodite. He must move on, and so must you. Now drink._

The voice was right. Jason deserved someone better, _deserved_ to be happy without him. The blonde had said it himself, he was ruining him. With him out of the way, Jason would finally have the opportunity to be happy and to truly be at peace with himself. By drinking the waters of the River Lethe, he would be doing them  _both_ a favor. And besides…all he ever wanted was for Jason to be happy. He…he was so selfish, holding onto him and never wishing to let him go. Yes, he wanted Jason, more than anything, but even more than that, he wanted the Roman to be content, to fall in love with someone who deserved him, not someone who was as fucked up as he was. Jason deserved better than him, and who was he to get in the way of that?

Jason had always said that he was selfish, so why didn’t he take this opportunity to prove that he could do something to benefit someone other than himself for once in his life? Jason would be better off without him…and would be better off without all of his pain; it was a win-win situation for them both. And not only would it benefit him and Jason, but it would work in both Percy and Annabeth’s favors as well. With him out of the way, they would be able to mend their precious relationship that had been perfect without him in the picture. If he drank the waters of the River Lethe, Leo would get his best friend back, and Piper would have a chance with the blonde Roman again. Even Emilian would get the chance to get to know Jason without him looming over their heads. Drinking the waters of the River Lethe would benefit everyone at the camp, because they wouldn’t have to be wary of the “creepy son of Hades” who didn’t even have a place for himself at a camp that was specially designed for demigods; the underdogs of life.

 _That it is, Nico. You know that the words that you are speaking are true. You will be doing him and everyone else a favor by forgetting them. You are doing the right thing…now drink. Taste the waters and forget, for not only yourself, but the son of Jupiter as well._

Nico clenched his eyes shut as he gathered the cloudy substance in his cupped hands, drawing them up from the depths of the waters. Everything still hurt. The pain in his chest was throbbing; still reminding him of his loss, but this…this would take that away. And he so desperately wanted his pain to dissipate, so why _wouldn’t_ he drink if the cure to his ailments was right before him, in the palm of his hands, just waiting for him to make a decision. The son of Hades clenched his eyes shut even tighter, a few tears slipping out, as his life seemed to flash before his eyes, showing him everything that he would be missing if he merely let the liquid touch the tip of his tongue. Yes, he had some good memories that he would miss, but did they truly outweigh the bad? He didn’t have the sort of life that one could look back and smile at, no, he had the complete opposite, so once again, why wouldn’t he want to drink the waters of the River Lethe and forget everything that had ever caused him pain, had made him shed the shameful tears that he was crying at that moment? He not only had to drink the waters of the River Lethe for himself, but for Jason as well. He had to let him go, he had…he had to forget him.

_Yes…drink. Drink and forget them all, forget every single being that hurt you, that caused your tears to fall. Forget them all, and when you have forgotten, I will find you, and you will take your rightful place at my side. Now drink!_

And without a second thought, he drank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *scratches the back of my neck awkwardly*  
> So. How's the weather over there?  
> Goodness, what does one say after such insane amounts of angst, and the most wicked cliffhanger yet?  
> I know, this chapter was INSANELY angsty, but now we're getting into the main plot, so buckle your seat belts guys and gals, I promise you, Nico will not be wandering around through the Underworld all clueless and vulnerable and shit.  
> So, I've got a random question that I've meant to ask, feel free to answer if you can look past all the angst that just occurred.  
> Alright, what did you all think of the Blood of Olympus, assuming that you all have read it.  
> Also, any guessing on who you think that lovely little voice in Nico's head is?  
> Okay, I'm out. Luff you alls. [ ';


	23. It Isn't Fair and it Isn't Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He wanted to hate him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO DARLINGS, HAPPY (LATE) VALENTINES DAY TO YOU ALL! <3  
> I'm truly trying to get back into the habit of updating quickly, but things have been a bit hectic in my life, so yeah.  
> But Chapter 23 is here now! It's a little shorter than usual, (by about 700 words) but I didn't really see the point in making it more lengthy than it should be. I promise you if I would have, there would have been some portions in there that made absolutely no sense at all. [ x  
> Seriously, I can't wait to post further chapters, I'm over here jumping around in bed, all excited in shit.  
> Anyway, thank you to my oh-so wonderful beta, Wookiecookie, for putting up with my grammatical shenanigans. Also, thanks to GhostQueen30, for advising me to listen to the song, "I'm a Ruin," by Marina and the Diamonds (that does not belong to me), the chapter title being a lyric from the song. It really does describe Jason and Nico's relationship almost so accurately, it's scary. o_o  
> Alright! Thank you all for the comments and kudos in the last chapter, I really enjoyed not only reading your opinions of the last chapter, but of the Blood of Olympus as well. And thanks to those of you who merely read the story as well, it means a lot.  
> Okay, as you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and criticism is welcomed. Enjoy. [ ;

  * **Jason’s POV**



Jason wasn’t exactly sure how long he had been sitting there, staring at the wall, but the rumbling of his stomach and the ache in his bents limbs said it had been quite some time. He sat on his bed—the only one in the midst of half-a-dozen or so sleeping bags neatly lining the expanse of his cabin—his knees drawn up to his chest, and his arms wrapped around his legs as he vacantly stared at the wall across from his bed, the numbing sensation that had merely been a slight buzz before, now completely settled in his limbs.

As soon as the children of Hebe had seen him after breakfast and had come his cabin so that he could tell them their daily activities like he had done for the past few days, they had scattered, some without saying a word, and others softly offering to bring him something to eat, seeing as he had completely forgone breakfast. Faintly, Jason remembered a strawberry blonde haired tot, dashing in his direction as soon as he had seen that the Roman was still in his cabin. Callum seemed to have taken a certain liking to him after Jason had sort of rescued him from a tree, and nearly every day without avail, he asked the blonde to teach him how to fly like him. Jason didn’t mind it as much, but today, well, he couldn’t really put up with it.

But much to his relief, Cayden had scooped his younger brother up before he had a chance to wrap his chubby arms around Jason’s legs, and he led them out of the cabin. Callum had whined and complained the whole way out, accusing his brother of making him miss his flying lessons. Softly, though Jason had heard, Cayden had told his younger brother that he was sick, and that they would have to leave for a while so that he could get better.

Jason had appreciated it, and afterwards, when he had had the entire cabin to himself for a few hours, he spent the time silently shedding tears, sobering up, and then shedding a few tears more, no sound ever escaping his lips as he cried.

He didn’t know what to think after today; didn’t know what to _do_. After yesterday night spent with the son of Hades, he thought everything ahead would have been smooth sailing, but obviously, he had been wrong. Damn the Fates and their sick, twisted games of life.

All this time, Nico had been sleeping with Percy.

The mere thought brought up the taste of bile in the back of his throat, and made his chest ache fiercely. But Jason didn’t even flinch as it happened, because as sad as it was, he had grown used to the pain of being hurt, of being betrayed by the ones he cared for most. His father had done it all his life, only addressing him when it was only necessary, and his mother had left him in a complete act of selfishness, to be noticed and loved more dearly by Jupiter. And look where that had gotten her. Even Thalia had betrayed him, leaving him behind with his mother when he was the young age of two, and completely forgetting about him to go chase a life of immortality and adventure.

Inwardly, Jason chastised himself for thinking such thoughts. Thalia had thought he was dead; he couldn’t be upset with her for not searching for him. Besides, he was doing the same thing except worse, idly sitting by while she was missing, maybe even _dead_. This time, Jason winced as the loss of his sister added to his pain.

He hadn’t forgotten about Thalia, he had merely pushed all thoughts of her to the back of his mind in an attempt to alleviate the ache of her loss some. He knew it was what she would have wanted him to do, go on with his life and be strong, not to coop himself up in a dark room and cry, wishing for her. No, she would have wanted him to take charge of the situation, because despite everything with Greek mythology and being that they were demigods, she believed that anyone could determine their own fate. She had told him once that she loathed the idea of a few old women sitting around, decided whether or not they wanted her to live a long life, or to die young. No, Thalia had told him that by choosing the Huntresses, she was putting her life in her own hands, determining her own path in life. And she had told him that he could do the same.

So would she have approved of him letting Nico go?

Thalia believed in second chances; especially after receiving the opportunity to live her life for a second time. Because of this, she more than likely would have scolded Jason for not giving Nico the opportunity to explain himself. To apologize, or anything under that category. But Jason wasn’t quite sure that he cared anymore. He was sick of the excuses, of the apologies, and of being hurt, time after time again. Gods, why was everything so difficult for him?

He had thought he was making the right choice when he chose Nico over everyone else, even Piper, who had so patiently waited for him to fall in love with her. But apparently, he was wrong, and his decisions had backfired in his face. That didn’t mean he wanted Nico any less though, or wanted Piper any more. No, and that’s what made everything hurt worse, the fact that though he had tried countless times to forget about the son of Hades, thoughts of him always came back.

He was always there, always on his mind no matter what they were going through, and how far apart they were. And that really sucked, because at that moment, Jason was doing anything to keep his mind off of Nico, to focus on more dire situations like the disappearance of his sister and the descendants and children of Apollo, as well as reparations for the camp.

But he couldn’t get Nico off of his mind, no matter how much he tried.

Gods, everything about Nico seemed to be burned into his mind. The boy’s every fleeting smile that came more often, and more easily as the days passed, that cute way Nico seemed to be attached to his hoodie, but was too bashful to admit despite the times Jason had caught him cuddled up with it like it was his favorite blankie. The younger demigod’s unruly midnight colored locks that framed his alabaster skin that had once been a sickly pale, but now held a healthy glow, even the sulky way the teen’s lower lip poked out when Jason playfully teased him. Nico’s every touch across his skin, no matter how innocent it was, was branded into his mind, not matter how much wanted to forget it, to push it to the back of his mind, in a little box that he would never open again.

Every little thing about the son of Hades was ingrained in his mind. And for Vulcan’s sake, that just made everything hurt so much worse.

He had shown Nico a side of him that no one had ever seen before, had _done_ things with the younger demigod that he had never done before, things that he had never wanted to do with anyone else so much before. Jason buried his head in the apex of his knees, as a sense of humiliation washed over him.

He felt like a fool. For ever believing the words Nico had spoken to him last night. He had wanted him? Bullshit. He was in love with Percy, and had been for years now. He was stupid to think that Nico would have dropped that long time love for him. What made that sense of humiliation even heavier was the fact that he had put himself on the line last night, saying all of those things the younger demigod that he had truly meant, and had been hesitant to put out there in the first place. And to basically have his feelings thrown back in his face hurt. Nico had been with Percy all this time, during the time in which Jason’s feelings for him had grown from platonic to more romantic.

Truly, Jason wished he could take everything back. He wished he could take back ever doing those _things_ with him, he wished he could take back the words he had spoken to him last night, and most of all, he wished he could take back the fact that he had ever fallen for Nico in the first place. But at the end of the day, he couldn’t take anything back, and if he were being honest with himself, he would admit that a part of him didn’t want to take those things back.

But where was the comfort in being honest with oneself?

He was hurt, humiliated, and angry. But he couldn’t hate Nico if he tried. And gods, he was trying so hard to. If he hated Nico, it would make everything so much easier; his feelings for the younger demigod would dissipate, and besides, it was so much easier to turn hurt and humiliation into hate. But he just couldn’t. And maybe, it was because of who he was, but he knew a part of it was the fact that his feelings for the younger demigod were so strong, as well as the fact that he had gotten to know Nico, and had grown so close to him. They had had a special relationship, and in some ways, he and Nico were closer than he, Leo, and Piper were.

And the fact that that relationship was no more made everything hurt worse.

But he had been the one to end things, so why was he hurt by his own decision? Because truly, he still wanted Nico, but he refused to let himself be played the way the younger demigod had been playing him. And if he would have stayed with Nico, the younger demigod may have believed that he had free reign to continue on with his ways, his lies and his deception, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Even though he knew what Nico had done, he still wanted him; so much it made his body ache uncomfortably. But he couldn’t have him, couldn’t _be_ with someone who continued to lie to him time after time again. He had done the right thing by letting Nico go.

Jason barely looked up as he heard the door to his cabin open, the shut quietly. For a moment, he had thought it was a child of Hebe checking to see if he was still within the cabin, and had left after seeing that he was still in his original spot. But when he caught the familiar scent of designer cologne, he realized that he was not only alone, but that it was not a child of Hebe in his cabin.

“Hey, Jay Jay.”

He felt more than saw the son of Aphrodite approaching him, and beneath the scent of the teen’s designer cologne, he caught the scent of something so deliciously sweet, it had his stomach rumbling. “I’m taking that as a sign that you haven’t eaten yet,” Emilian teased softly, gingerly lowering himself down on the blonde’s bed.

Finally, Jason tore his gaze away from the wall and too Emilian’s hands. “Cake?” he rasped, inwardly wincing at the sound of his misused voice.

The demigod nodded, offering the Roman the plate that contained a rather large piece of chocolate cake. What was it with children of Aphrodite offering him chocolaty sweets when he was down? First Piper with a brownie and now Emilian with his cake. Absently, he wondered if Drew had ever given Nico things like this when _he_ was down. Did she offer him candies? Cupcakes? Maybe—.

“—son?”

The Roman blinked once, then twice, looking up from the treat in the Romanian half-blood’s hands. “What was that?”

Emilian offered him a small smile, his amethyst eyes twinkling faintly. “I asked if you had eaten at all today.”

“Oh, no,” Jason murmured, graciously taking the plate of cake from the teen.

Emilian cleared his throat when the blonde began to go for the slice of cake with his hands, and he looked up to see the son of Aphrodite waving around a plastic fork with his dark brows raised expectantly. “Thanks,” Jason muttered, too melancholy to even have the decency to look bashful as the demigod placed the utensil in his hand.

The two sat in silence for a little while as Jason diligently picked at his slice of cake, spreading around the equally chocolaty icing around the plate until he couldn’t bare the hunger gnawing at his stomach anymore, and without any semblance of grace, he attacked the large slice of cake, barely retaining a moan at the chocolaty taste that exploded on the tip of his tongue.

Jason paused in his gorging as he noticed Emilian watching him closely, a slightly amused smile on his handsome features. The blonde mumbled a barely intelligible ‘What?’ through the food in his mouth. “Your ‘grace’ is only limited to your last name, huh?”

Jason felt his face flame slightly, and he swallowed the rather large portion of cake in his mouth with some difficulty. “Sorry.”

Emilian waved him off with another one of his dazzling smiles. “I was only teasing. Besides, you haven’t eaten all day. Feel free to stuff your face; I was only making a few observations.”

The Roman continued in his ministrations, going slightly slower than he had before. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll bring you some chocolate chip cookies,” the Romanian half-blood mused more to himself than to the former praetor, but Jason perked up slightly at the thought of more sweets.

Chocolate chip cookies were one of his favorites…they were also Nico’s.

Jason slowly set down his fork as a memory of the younger demigod leaning into his side and nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie flashed through his mind. “That won’t be necessary,” he said quietly, inwardly reminiscing of all the times he remembered the son of Hades with a chocolate chip cookie in his hands.

“— _Jason_.”

“Huh?” the blonde snapped himself from thoughts of the younger teen as Emilian frowned at him, his head tilting to the side in a pensive manner.

“This is the second time you’ve spaced out on me. What are you thinking about?”

“Ni—Nothing. I meant nothing,” the blonde quickly corrected himself, hiding a grimace as Nico’s name nearly slipped past his lips.

 _Don’t think about him_ , he said to himself, it had been a mantra that he had repeated to himself over and over again in the past few hours. And he had _yet_ to follow his own words, as the fierce ache in his chest pointed out.

“Mhm,” Emilian hummed rather skeptically, studying the blonde closely. “I’ll act like I believe you for your sake.”

“How very humble of you,” Jason grumbled softly, not quite sure if the son of Aphrodite heard him as he lifted another bite of cake to his lips, attempting to ignore Emilian’s presence as he ate.

“So,” Emilian drawled, and Jason already knew what was coming next before the teen had even spoken another word. “What’s got you so down?”

Jason determinedly stared down at the half eaten slice of cake, slowly drawing his fork through the chocolaty frosting and making rather delectable looking swirls. “Nothing,” he finally answered, when he was sure the word would come out as even, and stoic, not giving anything away.

Emilian nodded slowly, studying the Roman with sparkling amethyst orbs so closely, Jason began to fidget under the gaze the trying so very hard to ignore. “Would this special _‘nothing_ ’ be none other than Nico di Angelo?”

Jason stiffened, and that seemed to be enough to give him away. “I thought so,” Emilian replied softly, looking rather troubled for a moment as he nibbled on his lower lip silently before he shifted on the bed, folding his legs beneath his form in an attempt to get comfortable. “Talk to me about him.”

Jason’s gaze snapped up at that, his sky blue orbs holding not only reluctance and skepticism, but a slight flare of hope as well. “But…but you don’t even _like_ him. And don’t try and deny it either, because everyone can tell. So why do you, of all people want to hear about him.”

Emilian’s face screwed up, his nose wrinkling in a manner that reminded Jason of Nico so much, the Roman’s chest seized for a moment, before he took a few deep, measured breaths, calming himself before the son of Aphrodite realized anything was amiss. “That’s true, but I want to help you. So I can put my opinions of him aside for a moment if it will help you, especially if he really is the one troubling you right now,” Emilian folded his hands in his lap expectantly, blinking at Jason when the blonde merely studied him.

“And if I don’t want to…?”

Emilian’s head tipped to the side in a thoughtful manner, and after no more than two seconds, he lifted a shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “Then I’ll drop it until you’re ready to talk about it. But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving.”

Jason had thought as much, and though he had initially wanted to be on his own, he found that having Emilian’s presence at that moment had a sort of…calming effect on him. And not only that, but Emilian unwittingly gave off such warm, friendly vibes, that Jason couldn’t help but want to spill his guts to him. It was strange that he was even considering telling Emilian all that had happened with Nico after only a few weeks of knowing him, but…he _had_ said that he would put his opinions of Nico aside while Jason spoke to him. And gods, Jason hadn’t realized how much he needed to get off of his chest until that moment.

So maybe, Emilian was in the right place, at the right time, and had asked just the right questions to get Jason to open up just enough.

“Okay,” the blonde said softly, his shoulders deflating slightly as the fight drained out of him, and he moved aside the plate of cake in order to get more comfortable.

If he was going to tell the teen everything he might as well get comfortable; he and Emilian would be talking for quite some time.

Jason started off by explaining to Emilian why he and Nico had grown so close. He talked about the quest in Croatia, including their encounter with Eros, but leaving out the part where the god had made Nico admit that he was in love with Percy, instead saying that Eros had merely pointed out Nico’s feelings towards the son of the sea god. Emilian had grimaced at the mentioning of Eros, and his brows had furrowed when Jason had gone on to explain why Nico was so afraid of his own feelings, being that he was born in a completely different time and era, where homosexuality wasn’t as accepted as it was now.

Gradually, Jason had explained the rest. Percy punching Nico, and why the son of Hades had been so torn up about it, his and the younger demigod’s fallout about it, their trip to the beach and how that had been the very first time that Jason had found Nico cute. He told him almost everything, leaving out the parts that he knew would betray Nico’s trust if he told another soul—though he didn’t quite know why he was worried with Nico and his trust at this point in time. And some points during his tale, he had grown hesitant to continue, but then a sense of comfort would flare around him, and he would forge ahead, his hesitance left behind. He had told Emilian the good, the bad, and the ugly. Never leaving out the parts where he had done something wrong, and even including very short, details of the physical aspect of his and Nico’s relationship—especially the quite newly found sexual aspect. But other than that, he had told the son of Aphrodite of his feelings for Nico, and how he felt after he found out that the younger demigod had been… _hooking up_ with the son of Poseidon.

Emilian had sat quietly through the whole tale, nodding at the perfect times and letting Jason known that he was still listening by making the correct sounds, but never giving his two-cents about a single thing, even the things that he disagreed with if the faces he had been making we anything to go by. At the end, Jason took a deep breath, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he found that the previously fierce ache in his chest had died down some until it was merely a dull throb that he found he could handle much more easily. “Yeah, so…that’s it.”

The son of Aphrodite watched Jason pensively for a moment before he gave a low whistle that was so unexpected, the Roman jumped, a faint heat spreading to his face and coloring his cheeks, making his embarrassment evident. “Here I go thinking you had it easy,” Emilian muttered with a rueful shake of his head before he perked up, a slightly confused expression on his nearly flawless features. “But, I thought Annabeth and Percy were in love? I mean, from what I’ve seen, they seem pretty lovey-dovey to me.”

Jason heaved a great sigh, running his hand through his golden blonde locks for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. “They are—I mean, they’re _supposed_ to be.”

“So why would Percy have sex with Nico?”

Jason shuddered at that, uncomfortable chill running down his spine. Gods, just Percy, Nico, and _sex_ in the same sentence sounded wrong, and the ache that had minimized into a dull throb, now began to pulse more fiercely. “Just…can you not…say _that_ , please?”

Emilian eyed the blonde curiously for a moment before the answer to his nonverbal question seemed to be answered, and his eyes softened, making Jason look away with something akin to bitterness rising in the back of his throat. He hated what he saw in Emilian’s eyes: _sympathy_. “Jason, you have to accept that it happened, no matter how much you wish it didn’t.”

And the teen’s tone was just dripping with so much sympathy, Jason was surprised he didn’t hurl right then and there. He knew he was overreacting, but he was sick of people feeling bad for him; about his mother’s death many, many years ago, about the fact that he had grown up without a family, about his sister’s disappearance, and now, about Nico’s betrayal. He was sick of being pitied, of being coddled by everyone. And he hated even more that there were so many negative reasons as to _why_ people believed he needed their pity. He didn’t want pity. He wanted to be normal; as normal as a demigod child of Jupiter still confused about his own sexuality could be. For Juno’s sake, he didn’t even want to get _started_ on his confusion of his sexuality. That was a topic for another time.

Jason forced himself to take a deep breath, to close his eyes and push his emotions to the back of his mind. And when he opened his eyes, he found that Emilian was watching him closely, not for the first time that day. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?” Jason mumbled, picking at an imaginary piece of string on the knee of his jeans.

Emilian pursed his lips for a moment, but Jason could see the gears in his mind working. “Close yourself off.”

Jason looked up from his knee, successfully distracted by the demigod’s words. “Close myself off?” he repeated incredulously, and Emilian nodded, a few strands of his midnight blue hair falling out of place from his uppercut.

This was new to the blonde. Never before in his life had anyone ever told him that he was… _closed off_. As a matter of fact, it was always that opposite; that he was so open, people could read him like a book as Piper had once told him. But he, Jason Grace closed off? That was a first. “How?” he inquired, his head tipping to the side slightly in a genuinely perplexed manner.

Emilian nibbled on his lower lip nervously, pulling his legs more firmly beneath him, and Jason’s eyes were drawn to his form fitting jeans that shaped his legs rather nicely. When Jason looked back up into the teen’s eyes, he looked strangely pleased to find that the Roman had been watching him as well, but he didn’t address that as the former praetor had expected him to. “I…okay, so you know how demigods, half-blood, _whatever_ the hell we are, usually have special abilities?”

Jason nodded slowly, wondering what this had to do with him supposedly being closed off. But he had to admit that he had been curious as to what Emilian’s ability was. He already had the killer looks, and the wonderful fashion sense, but usually there was something else children of Aphrodite had, whether it be the ability to detect true love from a mile away, or the ability of charmspeak, like Piper and Drew had. Emilian gave a soft, shuddering sigh, his eyes focused on his hands, which were folded in his lap primly. “This is going to sound really strange, but bear with me. So, throughout my life, people have always been… _attracted_ to me for lack of a better word, and I know that sounds very self-centered, but it’s true. And I don’t only mean physically attracted to me or sexually attracted to me…but I mean, attracted on an emotional level.”

Jason blinked, perplexity so evident on, Emilian couldn’t help but smile as he looked up. “I’m not sure I totally get what you mean.”

“I thought so. Well, I give off this kind of…inviting, comforting, almost loving aura that draws people to me. It…well, it gets them to open up more easily and…yeah.”

Jason was silent for a moment as suddenly, something dawned on him. That strange pulse of comfort he had felt when he was ready to stop spilling his deepest secrets and had helped him to forge ahead was Emilian’s doing? “So, you were _making_ me talk to you?”

Emilian shook his head wildly at Jason’s subtly accusatory tone, his hands tightening in his lap. “No, that was all you. But…it was _me_ , when you started to feel too uncomfortable to finish. And I didn’t do it just so that I could get some dirt on you, or any shit like that, but because you needed it.”

Jason was ready to interrupt, but the son of Aphrodite shook his head, and began speaking again, cutting off the blonde’s words before he had a chance to utter a sound. “You needed to talk to somebody about what was going on. I could see it eating you up, and I know you try and hide it with a smile, but you don’t always have to be a perfect son of Zeus—.”

“—Jupiter—.”

“— _Whatever_. The point is you don’t always have to be perfect. Even the strongest of people cry and let out their emotions, because it’s healthy. You can’t just bottle up your emotions because you’re afraid of tarnishing your father’s name.”

Jason opened his mouth to protest, his pain over Nico’s betrayal momentarily overpowered by confused indignation, but Emilian cut him off with a stern look, his amethyst eyes shining passionately. “Your emotions don’t make you weak, Jason, they make you _stronger_.”

The blonde averted his gaze momentarily, only looking up when he felt a warm hand resting gently on his knee, and then, he felt that strange flare of comfort that he now knew had everything to do with Emilian. But strangely, he wasn’t at all reluctant speak to him this time, not deterred by his ability as most would be. “I…I _have_ to be strong. I have to maintain the image, I mean, by simply existing I’ve already soiled my father’s name. All demigods are usually frowned upon by immortals, but a child of Jupiter, the king of the gods? My _existence_ is a scandal itself. So I have to do my best to keep up the image of a strong, leader. My emotions get in the way of that. If I ever get angry, or I don’t know, breakdown or something, that’s just more disappointment from my father. And I _can’t_ disappoint him, he’s the only parent I have left, the only _family_ I have left, especially with Thalia missing—and oh gods, especially if she’s _dead_. I-I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s—.”

“Jason—.”

“I mean, we’ve only just been reunited, and with her off with the Huntresses, I never really get to see her—.”

“ _Jason_ —.”

“But that doesn’t make a difference, because she’s still my big sister, and I love her, and I don’t want to lose her, and—.”

Honestly, Jason should have seen it coming. The way Emilian’s hand had tightened on his knee, making it easier for him to pull himself up into a kneeling position on the bed, barely taller than the blonde on his knees due to his considerably smaller height, though nearly everyone looked shorter next to Jason. But Jason _hadn’t_ seen it coming when Emilian covered his mouth with his own, halting his words midsentence.

Jason sat frozen for a moment, Emilian’s lips pressed chastely against his own, not moving at all, and giving the Roman the option to pull away, to end the kiss like he was supposed to do. But much to his surprise, Jason didn’t, and instead, he found himself pressing his lips against Emilian’s more firmly, his eyes squeezed shut against the world, as a sense of security and comfort pulsed around him. And this time, it had nothing to do with the son of Aphrodite, and everything to do with the way he made the blonde feel. And besides that, he…well, he needed to know if there was anything other than friendly affections between them, something that may potentially make him leave behind his feelings for the son of Hades.

Emilian was a good guy. Sweet, caring, funny, with just the right amount of sass, ultimately, the type of person Jason _should_ have been interested in. And if it were another time, Jason more than likely would have found himself attracted to him, of that he was sure. But it _wasn’t_ a different time, and while kissing Emilian, Jason didn’t feel much of anything except for the rush that came with kissing anyone. Sure, there was affection forming in his chest, but it was more of friendly affection, nothing else, he realized as their lips moved together slowly, slotting together, and their breaths mingling. And the blonde couldn’t help but feel a twinge of frustration at that, and as a result, he increased the fervor of the kiss, causing the son of Aphrodite’s hand to tighten exponentially on his knee.

Why, oh _why_ couldn’t he have fallen for someone like Emilian? Someone who appreciated him, and the things that he did for them? _That’s not fair_ , he chastised himself as Emilian deftly captured his lower lip between his teeth before slotting their lips back together. _Nico…Nico appreciates me, he just has a strange way of showing it._

And why was he still defending Nico after all he had done to him?

Something else that was rather strange, was the fact that while Emilian seemed to be enjoying their kiss, Jason just… _wasn’t_ as much as he probably should have. He found himself mechanically going through the moves, and soon enough, the twinge of frustration, was replaced with guilt.

It wasn’t that Emilian was a bad kisser, no, he was great in fact, but it was just that Jason couldn’t help comparing his kisses to Nico’s, and he knew he was probably wrong for that, that he might have been emotionally screwing with the demigod, though he truly didn’t mean to do so. But Emilian…well he was obviously an experienced kisser, his moved practiced and precise after what Jason assumed was multiple times of lip locking—for Venus’s sake, who _wouldn’t_ want to kiss him? Even he had given into the temptation, and though it was nice, it wasn’t…well, it wasn’t Nico’s kisses.

Kisses with Nico always felt like the first time, no matter how many times _their_ lips had locked. The same intensity was there, the passion, and the release, gods, the release of pent up tension—be it sexual or emotion, he really couldn’t find it within himself to care when the occasion occurred—was simply breathtaking. Jason’s heart raced when he kissed Nico, and his palms became sweaty, and more than often, he found that he was short of breath.

But kissing Emilian wasn’t like that. Emilian kissed the way a child of Aphrodite would be expected to; sweet, slow, and carefully, somewhat similar to the way Piper used to kiss him. But Nico…Nico kissed like an angel who craved sin, and Jason found that he wanted more. So much more.

For someone who hadn’t so much as had a quick sip of immoral, unconventional behavior, Jason found that he was quickly becoming addicted to the rush. For the first time in his life, he _felt_ reckless. Gods, being with Nico was reckless, and he found that he craved that, craved that excitement, and that thrill he rarely felt when he was doing something that he knew deviated from his usual, goody-two-shoes behavior.

Being with Nico was not what anyone expected, he was actually the complete opposite. But Jason couldn’t find itself within him to care. And he knew, when he felt Emilian’s hand tighten on his knee, that this wasn’t what he wanted. With a soft, sound of guilt, Jason pulled away, his chest heaving, but not from the passion of the kiss, but his thoughts. “I…I can’t do this,” he panted, his gaze averted shamefully and his hands folding in his lap nervously.

All was silent for a second, and Jason looked up from the bedspread to see a smile stretched across Emilian’s face. “I thought as much,” the son of Aphrodite declared, pressing one last, simple kiss to the blonde’s lips.

Jason opened his mouth to respond, but felt his face flaming as no coherent sound came out, making the son of Aphrodite’s smile widen, but…there was something _off_ about that smile, that he couldn’t quite place his finger on, and he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to, knowing that it would more than likely increase his guilt by a tenfold. “But, that doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying to make you mine,” Emilian said with a smile and a wink as he hopped off of the bed, and Jason caught a flash of emotion that battled with the teen’s optimistic attitude as the demigod moved towards the door. “I’ll see you later, Jay Jay.”

Jason sat dumbfounded on the bed as Emilian pulled open the door, glancing back over his shoulder momentarily. “Get some fresh air, okay? Don’t sit in here beating yourself up over something you can’t change. Things will work out in the end.”

And with that, Emilian left, leaving Jason behind with his thoughts, the ache in his chest coming back with a vengeance, more than likely caused by the action of kissing the son of Aphrodite.

Gods, he had a lot to think about. But for the time being, he wouldn’t break, he wouldn’t seek Nico out, not when he needed time to think, time to himself. He was still angry, still hurt, but he wasn’t so blinded by his own emotions not to realize that he still wanted Nico, more than anything. And that, if anything, just befuddled him further.

Jason made a sound akin to a growl in the back of his throat as he grabbed a pillow from the head of his bed, throwing the fluffy headrest at the rather foreboding statue of Zeus in the center of the room with all the force he could muster. The blonde merely rolled his eyes with a muttered “Shut up” as the soft, normal rumbling of thunder intensified at his actions—his father more than likely subtly reprimanding him; something he was most definitely _not_ in the mood for.

His mind was in such a state of disarray that at the moment, he couldn’t tell you left from right if asked. He…he knew that he wanted Nico, despite what he had done to him, and that frustrated him even further. Why couldn’t he be like a normal human being and simply forget about Nico, _hate_ him after what he had done? Gods, he wouldn’t even bother being like Juno at the moment, holding a grudge for eons, like she had done since Apollo and Diana’s birth. But _no_ , he found himself still emotionally, physically, and sexually attracted to the son of Hades.

He didn’t want to like Nico anymore, he wanted to forget him, to hate him for everything that he had done, every single time he had ever hurt him, but he found that he just couldn’t. And he had tried so many times, to bring Nico’s bad qualities to mind in an attempt to just stop _feeling_ for him. He had brought to mind the teen’s horrid potty mouth, and his ever-changing attitude that always seemed to be more sour than it was sweet, he thought about all the times Nico had even lied to him, even brought up the painful memories of every harsh word the boy had ever spoken to him, the time when the demigod’s words had caused him to snap had been an especially painful memory to rehash.

But even then, he found himself the younger half-blood’s qualities that he favored. The fact that though Nico seemed brash and cold to others, the demigod always seemed to brighten when they were around one another, and Jason could just envision the boy’s sweet, shy smile right then, and it had his chest aching more fiercely than before. And that wasn’t the rest of it. He liked the way the younger hero relaxed around him, showing him a side that he was sure no one else had ever seen before. He found himself fond of the way that Nico craved physical affection, though the younger hero didn’t seem to quite get that himself, and instead recoiled when anyway attempted to make physical contact with him. But he didn’t do that with Jason, no, he had always let Jason touch him, and it made affection—both friendly and more than—swell in his chest.

No, he wasn’t in love with Nico, but he was clearly smitten with the younger demigod, no matter how much he wanted to deny his own feelings. Gods, just yesterday he was ready to be with the younger half-blood, to try things out and to see if _they_ could work out together, but today, he was trying to convince himself that he wanted nothing to do with him. So what had changed? _Nico sleeping with Percy_ , he thought bitterly to himself, forgoing the action of throwing another pillow at the statue of Zeus, and instead clutching the pillow close to his chest, his bright, sky blue eyes peering out from above the fluff.

If he would have known from the start that Nico and Percy were sleeping together, would he have _still_ fallen for the son of Hades? _Yes_ , he answered his own question quickly, and nonverbally, surprising himself with the surety in his own mental voice. But he knew he was right, he more than likely would have fallen for Nico had he known that the younger teen and Percy were sleeping together from the start. Though, he probably would have been rather hesitant to do so him, and do things of that sort.

Jason let out a breath of air in a whoosh, falling back onto his back with a soft, distracted grunt, and clutching his pillow closer to his chest. Not for the first time, and definitely not for the last, he wondered why life had to be difficult for him.

 _I have to let him go…it…it’s for the best. He’s in love with Percy, and it will only hurt me worse if I keep trying to get in the way of that_. Jason turned onto his side, his back to the statue of Zeus and his face to the wall. _Why can’t I just hate him?_

And with that thought, Jason squeezed his eyes shut, determinedly trying to keep an image of the son of Hades from coming to the forefront of his mind.

** Nico’s POV **

The boy cracked his eyes opened, and he blinked again in confusion, as he was met with a dim, barren land before him, the only thing emanating some sort of darkness being the strange, milky white river before him. Where was he?

The teen slowly propped himself up on his elbows, fighting to keep his anxiousness at bay as he scanned his surroundings. How had he gotten here? And what _was_ here? He bit down on his lower lip, barely noticing how large his eyes had grown when he spotted movement in his peripheral vision. He found himself flinching back, but catching himself as he nearly fell into the body of water that was now behind him. He caught sight of what he assumed was himself, midnight colored hair, fair skin, and dark eyes. But who was he really? What was his name? Maybe…maybe he should lean in closer to get a better look… But before he could do so, something inside him made him stop. There was something ominous about that water, as well as the figure that was now coming closer. Was it moving towards _him_?

By this time, the teen found that it was hard to keep not only his anxiousness at bay, but his fear as well. It was clogging up his throat and leaving a bitter taste there, a taste that he wanted to get rid of as soon as possible. Yes, there was a body of water behind him, but something told him not to reach out, not to get anywhere closer to the water than he already was. And something was also telling him to run from that figure.

The raven-haired teen felt his heart pounding in his chest as he scrambled to his feet, feeling as if he was moving through quicksand as he struggled with his heavy limbs. Where was he? And who or what was it that was coming closer to him? What was he doing here? How _did_ he get here? And what were the distant, strange noises that made the hair on his arms rise?

He tried to answer his own questions as he stumbled away, feeling as if he had cemented blocks strapped to his feet. But as he dug through his mind, attempting to answer his own questions, he found that there was nothing, simply nothing there. He wasn’t sure who he was, gods, he didn’t even know his own name. And why was it that he said _gods_ , as if there was more than one? The teen found his head pulsing, and he winced, clutching his hand to his head as he glanced back over his shoulder, his chest seizing as he found that the figure had gotten closer, despite the fact that he had thought that he was making progress.

As he was looking over his shoulder, he lost his footing, and found himself tumbling to the dry, dark ground, a wince contorting his features as he felt what was more than likely a rather sharp rock, tearing into the skin of one of his hands. But he was more concerned with the figure that had stopped before him, and golden sword gleaming at their side as it caught the light of the river. A soft, piteous whimpering noise fell past his lips he felt his heart race in his chest. He stood no chance against this figure; he was weaponless, while they wielding a sword—why, he wasn’t exactly sure. But all he knew was that he was afraid, especially as the person reached for their sword. “Please!” he found himself begging, throwing an arm up to defend himself for the blow that never came.

After a few seconds of silence, he peeked from behind his arm and to the person standing across from them, a frown contorting their features. And gods, they— _she_ —was beautiful. He knew that if he were to stand, she would be much taller than he, and her skin, a much healthier color as well. Her hair was dark, and pulled up in a graceful bun, only a few strands escaping, though they seemed to be strategically out of place. Along with her hair, her eyes were dark, shining with confusion as they studied him. She had a rather youthful face, though her eyes told him that she was beyond his years, no matter how young she seemed. Her clothing…well, her clothing was rather strange, but beautiful indeed. She was clad in what the raven-haired teen assumed was a Greek, sleeveless chiton, a shining, slim golden belt adding to the extravagance of the attire, along with a pair of strappy gladiator sandals. But that wasn’t all, no, the woman before him was clad in golden armor, making her look fiercely lovely.

“Please what? I would never hurt you,” she said, and her soft, affectionate voice soothed him, though he couldn’t help but tense as she moved closer.

“What have you done to your hand, my precious?” she murmured in almost a motherly tone, that had the teen unconsciously reaching out as she held out her hand, palm up to inspect his injury.

She tsked softly, frowning at the droplets of blood that began to stain the ground beneath them. “Who…who are you?” the boy as quietly, and the woman looked up from his hand, a soft, mischievous smile on her face.

“Don’t you wish to know who _you_ are before you start concerning yourself with who I may be?”

The teen found his brows furrowing, but before he could answer the woman before him, he touched her finger to the injury on his palm, a strange shimmery substance on her hand, and as it began to heal, the teen felt a strange energy pulse around him, and he gasped, his eyes falling shut before he was able to question the substance on her hand, a barrage of images began to flow in his mind, flashing behind his closed eyelids. But there weren’t only images, no, there were emotions. Intense ones like anger, and hurt, so much _hurt_.

The hurt usually seemed to be there when images of a tall, dark-haired, older boy with green eyes and an easygoing smile flashed through his mind. Who was that boy? Then there were feelings of lust that had his body overheating as images of he and the teen flashed through his mind. But they weren’t just any images, no, they were images of the two…oh gods, they were having _sex_. Before the teen had time to feel properly embarrassed, the images were whisked away and were replaced by he and the boy yelling at one another, then those were replaced the older boy kissing, not him, but a pretty blonde. Why was the older teen kissing her, if he was having sex with _him_? There were other images too, images of someone he assumed was his older sister, and the emotions that came with the image affection, but there was pain there as well.

He saw images of another girl, with mocha colored skin and brilliant golden eyes, and he felt affection towards her too. There were others, one of a pale, dark-haired, regal looking man sitting upon a throne and looking down at him dismissively through dark orbs, one of a pretty woman by who he assumed was his father’s wife and technically his stepmother. Lastly, there was an image of a handsome blonde with sculpted features, smiling down at him with an endearing crooked smile that was marked by a scar on his upper lip, and his bright, sky blue orbs shining with affection. The teen felt his heart skip a beat in his chest, but before he could study the image of the blonde further, it disappeared. It wasn’t whisked away like the others, no, it simply vanished, and as the teen searched through his memories, he found that the image wasn’t there, no matter how deeply he delved. And even as he began to forget the image of the blonde, he found that those beautiful, cerulean eyes stayed with him, making him shudder as he cracked open his eyes.

The woman was watching him closely, a serious expression on her face as she clutched his healed hand. “Do you remember?”

The teen nodded slowly. “I’m Nico.”

“Yes,” the woman smiled, motioning him on with her free hand. “What else?”

“I’m a demigod, a son of Hades, a god of the Big Three. My sister Bianca is dead—.”

“How did she die?”

Nico blinked slowly, an image of the green-eyed teen coming to mind. “I…I”

“How did she die?” the woman insisted, her eyes gleaming in an almost predatory manner, but beneath her need to know, Nico saw something in her eyes that urged him not to disappoint her.

Soon, along with the picture came a name. “P-Percy…”

“That’s right, he caused your sister’s death,” the lovely woman cooed knowingly, her eyes shining with delight.

Nico felt a rush of relief. He hadn’t disappointed her. Thank the gods. He wasn’t sure _why_ he felt that it was so dire to make this woman standing before him happy, but he would do everything within his power to keep any trace of disappointment from ever clouding her eyes. “And not only did her cause your sister’s death, but he also hurt you, my darling, do you not remember?”

Nico _did_ remember. He remembered the pain the older teen made him feel, remembered every single time he made him cry. He _remembered_. And it made him angry. Gods, his anger was practically pulsing around him…no, the woman before him was _feeding_ him anger; adding to his initial frustration and making it soar to new heights. He tasted his anger in the back of his throat, felt his hands tightening by his sides as an image of the son of Poseidon passed through his mind. That’s right…the teen _was_ a son of Poseidon, and he had no right to be smiling in such a carefree way after he caused him such immense pain.

“How do you feel about him, Nico?”

“I…I hate him,” he hissed out from between clenched teeth, his raven colored brows slamming down as his nails bit into his skin.

“Yes, yes you do. He has hurt you, my dear, and for that he must die.”

Nico felt his eyes widening despite the intense hate he felt for the son of Poseidon. “D- _Die_?”

The woman before him frowned, and before he could say a word to reassure her, he felt his hate for Percy grow; until he was no longer hesitant about the words the woman had spoken before. “Now, who must die, and why?” the woman tipped her head to the side expectantly, the strands of her dark hair framing her face.

“Percy…he-he has to die because he hurt me.” Nico could feel the surety of his own words, though there was a slight twinge of hesitance that made his confidence waver. But he covered his hesitance with his anger, with his _hatred_ , and he felt sure of himself once more.

A breathtaking grin spread across the woman’s shapely lips, his eyes gleaming with delight. “You are right; now let us leave this drab place—.”

“W-Wait!” the woman paused in the action of rising to her feet, her dark brows arched curiously.

“Yes?”

“Who…who _are_ you?”

It was a question that had been in the back of his mind for quite some time now, though he had been too overwhelmed with information—and emotions—to ask before. But he would sure as hell find out who she was now, especially when she had helped him, instead of leaving him to wander around mindlessly in the Underworld. She had to have been someone he remembered, that would only explain why she was being so kind to him. But if that was the case, why wasn’t she in a single one of his memories. Was she just a kind stranger then? She most definitely wasn’t a mortal, it was impossible for mortals to wander this deeply into the Underworld. That paired with the fact that she had healed him, the previous injury not even leaving behind a scar, just strengthened the fact that she wasn’t a mortal. So was she a demigod?

“I am a goddess, it is not important for you to know my name at this point in time, but you will learn it eventually,” her chin lifted a notch, only making her look more regal if that was even possible at this point, with all of her gleaming armor and her lovely feature.

“So, what will I call you?” Nico cleared his throat, nervously, opening his mouth to correct himself. “I meant, what _should_ I call you, my lady?”

The goddess seemed to perk up at that, a smile curling the corners of her shapely lips. “Always the respectful one, aren’t you, my precious Nico, hm?”

Nico smiled shyly as the goddess gazed down at him with affection clear in her eyes. His smiled wavered momentarily as those beautiful, sky blue orbs flashed in his mind, mirroring the affection in the goddess’s eyes, and even surpassing hers. Absently, he found himself wondering who those set of eyes belonged to, and why his heart seemed to do dance a number in his chest when those eyes flashed through his mind. “Just call me, Lady Goddess, or simply My Lady; that will suffice.”

“Yes, Lady Goddess,” he murmured, ducking his head respectfully. “My Lady, when we leave the Underworld, what is it that we’ll be doing?”

The smile that spread across his Lady’s face was purely predatory, as was the gleam that flashed through his eyes. “We will be seeking out the son of Poseidon of course. And I must pay a visit to Mt. Olympus, but that can wait.”

“Wait? Until what, My Lady?”

“Until the son of Poseidon is dead, of course. He must be punished for his crimes against you.”

“And you will kill him?” Nico found himself completely unaffected by the words coming from the goddess. Why would he be? Because he and Percy had slept together a few times, and once upon a time he had loved him? _No_ , Percy had hurt him, had put him through more pain than he had ever felt in his life. He deserved the punishment that would be bestowed upon him.

The goddess’s smile grew, and she gave her head a small shake as she rose to her feet. “ _You_ will be the one to kill him my darling, can you do that?”

“Yes, My Lady,” Nico answered without hesitation, and there was no doubt in his mind that he _wouldn’t_ be able to take out the son of Poseidon. He would do as his Lady asked, because surely she knew what was best for him, and because he didn’t want to disappoint her.

But even as she helped him to his feet, and they began to make their way out of the Underworld, that dazzling pair of sky blue orbs flashed in his mind once more, bringing forth hesitance one more, until he squashed it, like one would squash an ant under their foot.

He would kill Percy Jackson, because Lady Goddess had asked him to do so, and because he hated the son of Poseidon for every single time he had hurt him and made him cry. And no one—not even the person of whom the set of blue eyes belonged to—would get in his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That plot twist tho.  
> Mwahaha, I think I deserve some ice cream. [ ;


	24. Without You I Am Afraid I'll Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He's missing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys and gals, gals and guys.  
> People.  
> I'm very, very, very sorry for the long length of time it took me to post this chapter. Between being snowed in at a friend's house for a week, without my laptop charger I must add, as well as battling some personal issues, I lost a lot of time to continue working on this chapter.  
> This plus the fact that I rewrote this chapter a good two or three times, I'm sure you all can understand why it took me so long to post. Seriously, if I would have posted the other versions of this chapter, you all would have been like "What the fuck is this?" because that's what I did when I was rereading them. [ x  
> BUT!  
> Enough with the excuses. I powered through this chapter as quickly as I could, and thanks to my wonderful beta Wookiecookie, as well as the wonderful invention of coffee, Chapter 24 is here!  
> It's a little over 10k words, and I'm quite pleased with it if I do say so my. [ ;  
> Alrighty, as you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggested are appreciated, and criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy. [ ;  
> *The title of this song is a lyric from Marina & the Diamonds, all credit to her, and thanks again to GhostQueen30 for suggesting this wonderful song. [ :*

** Annabeth’s POV **

“Annabeth, are you _sure_ you’re okay?”

The daughter of Athena refrained from giving a heavy sigh, mentally noting that her half-brother, Malcolm, would know better than to take that as a sign of irritation, but of some somber, hidden emotion she refused to reveal to him.

And gods of Olympus would his speculation be exactly on point.

“I keep telling you, I’m fine.” At this point, she didn’t even try to force another of her phony smiles. Malcolm had seen straight past that, as well as the false, content pretense she had mustered up upon entering the dining pavilion. Honestly, she probably could have done better at pretending that everything was fine and dandy in her world, but she just didn’t have the energy to do so, didn’t have the willpower. In fact, it had taken everything in her to get up, to get out of bed that morning, and to start her new, early morning ritual that consisted of waking, making her way over to the cabin of Hebe. She’d then pick up Callum so that they could take their daily walk down to the Arts and Craft building, where they sat and made bracelets together. The son of Hebe‘s sweet, childish voice filling the expanse of the building as he eagerly rambled on and on about the previous day, or about his dreams if he had any. The only change in their schedule being that she now picked him up from the cabin of Zeus.

Annabeth hadn’t minded, as a matter of fact, Callum provided her with some sort of escape from the happenings of her life. Being with the small demigod gave her something else to think about, gave her someone to put her attention on, rather than focusing her attention on him. And Cayden didn’t seem to mind it all that much either. At first, he had been uneasy when Callum had begun to become…attached to Annabeth. But eventually, with the help of Annabeth’s reassuring coaxing and Callum’s pleads and cries; he had begun to warm up to her. Now that Callum consumed so much of her time instead of his, Cayden had time to be a teenager, and she had begun to see more and more of his rare smiles. For that, she was happy, but on the other hand, she was dismayed.

Seeing Cayden so normal, so free, smiling and joking around…well, it reminded her of Percy.

Annabeth softly cleared her throat, her blonde lashes fluttering as she attempted to clear the haze that had formed some time ago from her orbs. “Annabeth—.”

“I’m fine, Malcolm, really,” Annabeth forced an eye roll, inwardly wincing as she saw the gears in her brother’s head turning.

“Everyone is being so strange today,” he noted with a small frown that Annabeth returned, brushing a few strands of her blonde locks out of her face and behind her ear.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you haven’t talked about architecture once this morning, Leo hasn’t cracked a joke, Drew hasn’t flirted with Percy, Percy hadn’t even shown up for breakfast, let alone lunch, which is strange in and of itself considering the fact that he eats like…I don’t know, a pregnant whale. But anyway, Jason hasn’t smiled at all, and I know, it’s hella weird that I noticed that, but usually every morning he comes in all bright in cheery, like a ball of sunshine, greeting everyone, and asking them how their day has been, but he hasn’t said a thing all day. It’s weird, and it’s freaking me out.”

All the while Malcolm spoke, Annabeth’s gaze landed on each and every person he had spoken of. He was right. On a normal day, she would have noticed this, and pointed it out hours before Malcolm even had the opportunity to figure things out for himself. But today was not a regular day, as her brother had so graciously pointed out.

Leo was sitting at the Hephaestus table, his mouth clamped shut as he nudged his food around on his plate. Annabeth looked from him to the Aphrodite table, and nearly gasped aloud. There, sitting at the head of the table like she always did, even though her title of head counselor had been revoked, was Drew, munching on…a burger. To any normal outsider, it wouldn’t seem like a big deal, but to the campers of Camp Half-Blood, that was a strange occurrence. Drew didn’t do carbs, didn’t do anything greasy and sloppy, yet here she was, tipping her head back and dropping a pickle drenched with mustard and ketchup into her open mouth, her eyes darting over to the empty table of Hades.

Nico hadn’t shown up this morning, or at all today, though Annabeth couldn’t necessarily say she was surprised by that. Perhaps…perhaps he was with Percy. She swallowed, her gaze fixated on the Poseidon table. It…it would make sense. After the events of yesterday, they were probably seeking comfort; where better to find it in one another’s arms, the arms of a person who could empathize with them, the arms that they had cradled one another with after—.

 _Don’t go down that road_ , Annabeth inwardly hissed to herself, her hands clenching in her laps until she was sure her knuckles were an unhealthy shade of white. In an attempt to distract herself, Annabeth continued on with her observation, her feather gray colored gaze falling on the son of Jupiter. Annabeth’s brows furrowed as she studied the Roman demigod. Jason…well, Jason looked like he had been on a roundtrip through Tartarus. His golden hair was unkempt, appearing as if he had been shoving his hands through his locks repeatedly. His Camp Half-Blood t-shirt was crumpled, and his jeans had various stains on them, some of which, Annabeth was sure she didn’t want to know the origin of. And to top off his oh-so fabulous look, he was wearing two different colored shoes, his sky blue eyes dim and distant, and an absence of a smile on his handsome face.

Jason had always come across as…artificial to her. Not in a bad way of course, Jason was a good friend of hers, and after getting to know him since the first time she had met him, Piper, and Leo, she had warmed up to him tremendously. It was just that Jason always seemed too perfect to be the real deal, too kind, too noble, too handsome, etc. Gods, the only mar in his masculine beauty was the small scar on his upper lip that she had heard him mention was from trying to get his munch on with a stapler, or a staple, one of the two, when he was young.

Now, for the first time since she had met him, Annabeth was seeing him as anything but perfect. Even after battles, when everyone was dirty, haggard, and on the verge of collapsing, Jason made those three things look gorgeous, like a model forced to model a trash bag, Jason made utter exhaustion look appealing.

But not today.

Today, exhaustion was an ugly thing on Jason Grace, dark bags beneath his eyes—eyes that matched his father’s perfectly—contrasted his tan, sun kissed skin, making his eyes looked sunken in. His golden blonde locks, which Annabeth had heard many a camper raving about, or envying, were limp and greasy looking upon closer inspection, no it was not its normal, glossy, lush self. His eyes were red rimmed; his skin a shade lighter than normal, and Annabeth noticed that every single time he moved it looked as if he were putting his all into his movements.

Weakness was not a good look on the son of Jupiter.

And that was the only word Annabeth could use to describe his state at the moment. For a second, she allowed herself a rush of relief. She and Piper had talked this over numerous times, before and after her and Jason’s breakup; the fact that Jason never seemed to let himself feel. Sure he permitted himself to feel the simple, basic emotions, such as happiness and sadness. But he seemed to never allow himself to feel the ugly emotions, the emotions that every single being—being it human, half-blood, immortal—needed to feel. Annabeth had only caught small glimpses of those ugly emotions, but every time they began to make way onto the blonde’s sculpted features, Jason reigned himself in.

It had worried Piper endlessly, especially after Jason had let loose some of that emotion, and destroyed the statue of Zeus in his cabin. _He’s…he’s dangerous_ ; Annabeth had remembered Piper murmuring solemnly, her kaleidoscope eyes distant as they had uneasily shifted from color to color, over and over again.

And she was exactly right. Not only Jason was a force to be reckoned with because of his godly parentage, but because of those pent up emotions inside of him, just waiting for the briefest of moments to escape, to make themselves known. To say Annabeth was shocked to be seeing some of those emotions playing out on his features was an understatement.

She was a mix of relieved, surprised, and proud. Proud that Jason was either intentionally or unintentionally letting himself go, deviating from the path of a perfect son of Jupiter, much like his older sister had done.

Annabeth clamped her lips shut, her chest aching fiercely at the thought of the only known demigod daughter of Zeus. She had thought breaking up with Percy would be her breaking point, the point that would tip the scales and send her flying over the edge, but it turned out, that learning of Thalia’s disappearance would do that just fine. She had already been emotionally overwhelmed from learning of Percy’s actions, but learning that her best friend, the girl— _woman_ —who had taken her in when she was only seven years old was missing, and hadn’t been heard from in weeks broke the dam of emotions she had been struggling to keep up.

She had broken down in the middle of her cabin after everyone had left for their activities, her knees buckling beneath her as she finally gave into weakness. But not while anyone was watching, never when anyone was watching. She had already shed tears in front of Percy and Nico, but she would never show weakness in front of her cabin mates—her siblings. Not because she didn’t trust them, or thought that they would judge her, or mock her, but because they were depending on her. To be strong no matter what was happening; she had to be their beacon of strength even while things were slowly going downhill. She couldn’t afford to let them see her weakness, because that would signal to them that there was no more hope left, no more reason to fight whatever the problem may be. Her breaking down would symbolize that it was okay to give up, that it was time to do so.

If she were being honest with herself, Annabeth would admit that she was scared out of her mind for Thalia, for the campers that had gone missing, and for Camp Half-Blood itself. Years ago, the gods had mentioned that history tended to repeat itself, in one way or another, events from eons ago would happen again, no matter how they, started the only thing that mattered was the outcome; the gods had said the outcome could always change, no matter what history had said.

So was history repeating itself again?

Was Kronos attempting to rise up again? Another ancient, immortal foe that she hadn’t been aware of perhaps? What…what if it was Tartarus himself, making his rise now that he wouldn’t have to share his power with anyone, not even his slumbering wife, Gaea?

Annabeth couldn’t help the tremble that shook her hands as she carefully set her fork down on the table, attempting to be casual, so as not to alert Malcolm, who was still inspecting her out of the corner of his eye, that anything was amiss.

If Tartarus was rising, and he—more like _it_ —was the one who was kidnapping all of those demigods…Annabeth didn’t know what they would do. Tartarus was the real deal. For gods’ sake, he made Gaea, the earth mother, look like a playground bully. If Tartarus was the one taking all of those demigods, there was so doubt in her chest that they wouldn’t be alive for long.

But she was getting ahead of herself.

The gods would have known if Tartarus attempted to advance, heck, she was sure every demigod across the globe would have realized it. And why would Tartarus target children of Zeus and Apollo? For a moment, she entertained the thought that it might be to destroy any source of light there may be so that he could reign in darkness, but that was a little farfetched. Tartarus, unlike Gaea, seemed to be quite comfortable where he was, there was no legitimate reason that she could think of why Tartarus would want to rise. He had always stayed out of godly affairs for the most part, except for his marriage to Gaea. So it was silly for her to think that it was he, Tartarus, who was swiping the children and descendants of Apollo and Zeus.

“Annie?”

Annabeth was snatched from her stupor at the sound of a soft, sleepy childish voice, and she looked away from the son of Jupiter—who she hadn’t realized her gaze was still fixed on as she lost herself in thought—and to the small son of Hebe before him, his small fists rubbing over concealed hazel eyes. “What’s wrong, Callum?”

There was a small frown on the boy’s bow-shaped lips, and he didn’t speak until he removed his hands from his eyes, his lids heavy. “’M sleepy.”

“It’s only…12:40,” she added, nodding her thanks to one of her siblings who offered her the time when she realized she had left her cabin without her watch.

Callum shuffled forward, his brow creased as he casually nuzzled against Annabeth’s side, evoking a few, soft cooing sounds from her sibling who had noticed his actions. Annabeth sighed fondly, momentarily distracted from her dark thoughts as she turned, capturing the young demigod beneath his arms and pulling him into her lap. Callum made a soft, unconscious, appreciative sound before he popped his thumb into his mouth, a habit that irritated his older brother to no end. “Why didn’t Cayden take you back to Jason’s cabin?”

Callum closed his eyes, resting his head in the crook of Annabeth’s neck, his strawberry blonde curls tickling her skin. “Callum,” Annabeth drawled in a soft, humming voice, reaching out and tapping the boy’s nose, causing a soft pink color to spread across his cheeks. “Why didn’t Cayden take you, Cal?”

“Because he wanted to play with Piper,” he murmured around his thumb, a single eye cracking open, confusion evident in that single, hazel orb. “He said he has to crush her, but I don’t want him to. Piper is nice to me, and she gives me yummy candies and feathers for my bracelets!”

Annabeth’s blonde brows furrowed for a moment before it dawned on her, and a slow, knowing grin stretched across her lips, though it didn’t quite reach her stormy gray eyes, which were dim with exhaustion.

Cayden didn’t want to _crush_ Piper; he had a crush _on_ her.

Over the past few weeks or so, Annabeth had begun to notice that Cayden had started to take…a certain liking to a specific daughter of Aphrodite. When Annabeth had brought it upon, Piper had merely laughed off the suggestion that the younger son of Hebe liked her in a way that was anything but friendly.

 _He just likes my company, that’s all,_ she had said sternly, though her eyes were twinkling with amusement at Annabeth’s gentle, yet insistent prodding.

Yet, despite what she said, wherever she went, Cayden was never far behind, offering to carry her towel after a swim, her water bottle after sparring, for gods’ sake, the teen had even offered to carry her, Piper, when she had pointed out that she feel like her legs would collapse beneath her after a rather demanding game of Capture the Flag. Yes, he had offered in a teasing quality, but Annabeth could see past his charade, could see that if she would have actually allowed him to carry her, he would have been delighted out of his mind.

The corners of her lips quirked up at the thought, and absently, she ran her fingers through the son of Hebe’s curls. “I never, ever thought I’d see you taking up the roll as a mother,” Malcolm teased, nodding in Callum’s direction.

Before Annabeth could respond, Callum had snatched his thumb out of his mouth, leveling her half-sibling with a glare that was meant to be scathing, but was rather adorable instead. “She’s not my mom, she’s my girlfriend!”

A laugh burst from Malcolm as Callum threw his chubby arms around Annabeth’s neck with a childish possessiveness. Annabeth couldn’t help but smile as she heard Callum harrumph indignantly. “My fault, little man,” Malcolm teased before taking a sip of his drink, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Campers,” Chiron’s voice boomed over the loud chatter in the dining pavilion, and Annabeth turned her attention to the front, settling Callum in her lap comfortably as he too turned to get a better look at the centaur. “Today, before you leave to go to your next activities, I have a few announcements to make.”

Chiron paused for a moment, his eyes skimming over the half-bloods before him, his wizened gaze pausing on the table of Poseidon as well as the table of Hades, his brows rising in a barely noticeable action before he cleared his throat, his eyes continuing to roam as if they hadn’t stopped at all. “The canoe lake is back in order, and is ready to be used as soon as you all see fit.”

A few delighted whoops rang around the pavilion before Chiron raised his hand for silence, and small smile on his lips. “Yes, I know it’s very exciting, but that is not the only thing up and running again. The lava climbing wall is now back and ready to be used, thanks to Leo Valdez.”

Leo didn’t so much as crack a smile as his siblings jostled him admirably, praising him for his hard work. “Because these two things are back up and running, we no longer have a shortage of activities…but for today, I will have to ask those of you who normally go to the volleyball court as well as the arts and craft building to find another activity, preferably something that has to do with the climbing wall or the canoe lake.”

Callum’s head shot up, his hazel eyes wide with dismay at Chiron’s announcement. “Annie,” he whined uneasily, looking up at the daughter of Athena helplessly.

“It’s okay, Cal, it’s just for today. How about we go swimming instead?” she said with her most reassuring smile.

“No!” the young demigod’s eyes widened even further, a look of panic in his hazel orbs. “I want to make bracelets, not sink in the water!”

The boy’s loud declaration drew the attention of a few surrounding half-bloods, Nicholas, the head counselor of the Nike cabin being one of them. “How are we supposed to make laurels for the victors if the arts and craft building is off limits?” his amber eyes blazed with indignation, his siblings nodding alongside him.

“You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow. Besides, I’m sure that you all don’t have a shortage of laurels,” Chiron pointed out gently, knowing just how touchy children of Nike tended to be when it came to all things victorious.

“Tomorrow?! Victory has no set schedule, Chiron. We as children of Nike have to reward the victors of all activities accordingly.” Nicholas’s chin lifted a notch, his jaw set stubbornly. “Why is the arts and craft building off limits anyway?”

Annabeth turned her attention back to Chiron, curious to know the answer as well. The centaur winced, the action barely noticeable to those who hadn’t known him as long as she, Annabeth, had. “Ah, Mr. D has asked for the area around the Big House to be cleared out today, he has—.”

“To get his beauty rest?” Connor Stoll snorted, high fiving his twin who was probably ready to say the exact same thing.

Chiron sighed, slightly uneasily, his hands clasped before him as he continued as if he had not been interrupted. “He has asked for silence because he has an important guest—.”

“ _He is missing, father!_ ”

Annabeth’s head snapped in the direction of the Big House, the direction in which the strong, insistent, dulcet voice had carried from. She didn’t recognize the voice, nor did the rest of the campers she had guessed, as they once again grew silent, straining to hear that captivating voice once again. Annabeth barely heard Chiron curse quietly to himself, all of her attention focused on hearing that voice once again.

“ _Nico is missing!_ ”

** Jason’s POV **

Jason felt his heart stutter in his chest as that female voice with an unfamiliar lilt filled the air again, demanding not only the attention of the person she was speaking to, but the attention of everyone close enough to hear her words. And Jason had heard her loud and clearly.

Nico was missing.

The son of Jupiter hadn’t thought much of it when he hadn’t seen Nico around the camp yesterday, or anytime today. He had merely thought that the son of Hades had locked himself away within the confines of his cabin, the same way Jason had wanted to do that very morning. But no, that voice had said that Nico was missing with so much conviction, Jason felt the blood drain from his face.

He felt himself moving before his mind caught up with the action, his legs feeling as if they were weighed down by cement as he moved. Absently, he realized that his movements were anything but slow, and that it was his mind making him seem as if he were moving a mile a second because he wasn’t going as fast as he wished to.

But finally, when he was free from his seat, he took off in the direction of the cabins, his heart pounding in his chest as he ignored the gazes of the campers who were undoubtedly watching him as he raced from the dining pavilion, the sound of his feet pounding against the ear, and his heart hammering the only thing he could hear. Faintly, he heard someone call his name, heard footsteps behind him, but at the moment, he didn’t care. The only thing he cared about was finding Nico and making sure he was safe.

_Nico is missing!_

A labored breath rushed passed his lips, and his chest constricted, making him stumble before he regained his footing once more, the cabins just up ahead. Missing. Nico was missing. Was he missing the same was his sister was missing? Or had he just rushed off to the Underworld to stay with his father before things between him and Jason had settled down?

He seriously doubted that. The voice wouldn’t have sounded so panicked if he had just left for the Underworld. With that thought in mind, Jason doubled his pace, kicking up dirt behind him as he neared the cabin of Hades.

Gods, he had taken his eyes off of Nico for a little more than twenty four hours, and now he was missing! _It’s your fault,_ he hissed to himself as he ran past the other cabins, Nico’s cabin drawing closer and closer. _You promised you would never leave him. You promised. And look what you did; look what you caused._

Jason threw open the door of Hades’ cabin, his sky blue eyes darting around the room, the same room where he had held Nico in his arms while he slept, feeling more content and relaxed than he remembered feeling in a long, long time. “Nico?” he called out breathlessly, his voice sounding hoarse to his own ears as he dashed over to the boy’s bed, throwing off the black comforter.

Empty. The bed was empty.

He didn’t even have to check the other bed to know that Nico wasn’t there. He dashed over to the bathroom, throwing open the black shower curtains on each and every stall, his pounding heart sinking even further with every tiled space that came up empty.

Gods, this was his all his fault. If…if he wouldn’t have left him, if he hadn’t been so tough on him, not matter how much he felt he deserved it, Nico would have still been there. He would have been with him, Jason, smiling up at him with that smile that was reserved for him only, teasing him and calling him “Golden Boy” because he knew how much it drove Jason crazy.

But Nico wasn’t there.

Nico merely could have gone back to the Underworld, but with demigods going missing every single day, Jason found that to be highly unlikely. No matter what state Nico was in when he left, he would have told Chiron where he was going so that the centaur or anyone else at the camp for that matter would know not to worry—so that Jason would know not to worry. So that he could eventually find him and apologize for being such an unforgiving asshole, but he couldn’t do that now. Because Nico was gone without a fucking trace and Jason didn’t know what to do.

The blonde dashed back into the living area, a gleam beneath the bed catching his eye as he moved across the room, fruitlessly searching for the son of Hades in every single crevice of the cabin. “Nico?” he called out unsteadily, emotion clogging up his throat as he lowered himself to his knees. His hands trembling as he reached beneath the bed, pulling out an item that not only made his heart skip a beat, but his stomach drop, and churn precariously.

There, beneath the bed, lay Nico’s Stygian iron sword. And that’s when Jason knew that something was wrong, that Nico hadn’t just left for the Underworld to save face. He knew that the younger demigod truly was missing.

The son of Jupiter bit down harshly on his lower lip, his tight grip on the sword making his knuckles turn an unhealthy shade of white as he stared at the item in his hands, panic clawing at his chest and demanding to be released. Nico would _never_ leave for the Underworld without his sword, would never leave without notifying anyone first. And for Hades’ sake, Jason knew he would never go anywhere, no matter how long, without his aviator jacket, which was shoved beneath his bed, crammed underneath the rest of the boy’s armor.

Jason barely looked up when the door to the cabin opened, all hope previous hope that Nico would walk through the door squashed as he clutched the younger demigod’s sword to his chest with one hand, his free one reaching beneath the bed to tug the aviator jacket from beneath the semi-heavy armor. “Jason?”

He was surprised to hear that it wasn’t Piper, nor Leo, or even Emilian who walked through the door, but Annabeth. And as his eyes strayed down beside her, he noticed the small hand that was clutched in her own, and the familiar head of strawberry blonde hair.

Gods, he really didn’t want to lose it in front of Callum. The son of Hebe looked up to him, and if he saw him breakdown…that would more than likely be the end of things. But no matter how much he wanted reel his emotions in, to jar them like he had done all his life, he felt his grip loosen on the proverbial top of the jar, and he began to realize that attempting to keep it together would be a futile cause. “He’s gone,” he croaked, Nico’s aviator jacket clutched in one hand, and the boy’s Stygian iron sword clutched in another.

Annabeth pulled Callum closer to her side, until he was nearly hidden behind her leg, and he was thankful for that. He’d rather the young demigod hear him lose it, than actually see it happen. Because at this point, he was almost one hundred-percent sure he was getting ready to lose it. “You know Nico better than most, Jason. So you of all people should know that he tends to leave camp on occasions—.”

“No,” he snapped, lifted the sword in his hands and drawing the daughter of Athena’s attention to the item, as well as the article of clothing grip in his other hand. “He would never leave without these, I know it.”

“He’ll probably be back to get them,” Annabeth said softly, her voice soft, more than likely in an attempt to soothe him, which only served to agitate his frayed nerves further. “He’s probably just telling his father that he’ll be there soon.”

“You don’t get it. He’s missing, the same way Thalia is missing, the same _fucking_ way children of Apollo have going missing!”

Jason ignored the soft, appalled gasp that came from behind Annabeth’s legs, ignored the scuffling of small feet that moved further behind the daughter of Athena’s legs. He couldn’t focus on that now; he only had room in his mind for Nico and his whereabouts. Annabeth’s chin lifted a notch at the mention of Thalia, her hands balling into subtly defiant fists at her side. “I’m confident that Thalia is fine, she can hold her own, and I know that for a fact. Better than you perhaps.”

A bitter, slightly desperate laugh bubbled out of Jason’s mouth as he stared at Annabeth. “That’s just it. I know that Thalia can hold her own, I know that every single demigod that was taken could hold their own, so why is it that they were so easily taken in the first place? How is it that the _lieutenant_ of the Hunters of Artemis, as well as a child of Zeus, was so easily swept away, Annabeth? How is it that a whole _horde_ of trained demigods were taken? Huh? Doesn’t that make you the slightest bit nervous of what we might be facing here? This couldn’t be a normal lowlife immortal who’s just snatching up half-bloods for fun. This is serious.”

“I get that—.”

“No, you don’t. They could be dead, yet we’re still sitting here lamely while this person—this being—snatches up our friends and family from beneath our noses. They have over sixty-percent of the Apollo cabin, Thalia, and Nico— _gods_ they have Nico!”

Annabeth ran a quick, soothing hand over Callum’s head of strawberry blonde curls before she swiftly moved forward, grasping the son of Jupiter’s shoulders tightly, ignoring his slight wince of pain. “Pull it together, Grace. If they really do have Nico, you don’t have time to be losing it. Now, you’re going to get up, and act like you have a semblance of calm, and make your way down to the Big House with me, and you’re going to keep it together on the way there, do you understand me?”

Jason wasn’t used to taking orders from people, had often found it strange and uncomfortable when he was under someone else’s command. He was used to being the leader, was used to being looked up to. But today, right now, he was thankful for Annabeth’s guidance, and he nodded his head feebly as he gracelessly rose from the cold, hardwood floor, Nico’s favored items still clutched in his hands.

Annabeth turned back to the uneasy son of Hebe, holding her hand out with a reassuring smile. Without hesitation, Callum placed his smaller hand in the female demigod’s, his eyes straying to Jason momentarily before he offered a small, soft, smile of understanding that was way beyond his years. And that soothed Jason somewhat, to know that he hadn’t officially freaked out the young demigod.

Jason’s hand tightened around Nico’s sword as he crossed the threshold of the cabin, the teen’s jacket now resting in the crook of arm. This was _his_ fault. If he would have done what he promised and stayed by Nico’s side, the son of Hades would more than likely be beside him at that very moment. And instead of rushing to the Big House to inform Chiron that Nico was missing, they would be informing the campers that it was another camper—not Nico—was missing. Yes, it was a terrible thing to think, and an even more terrible thing to wish. But if he was being honest with himself, he would rather it be anyone but Nico who was abducted, gods; he would take his place if he could.

Yes, he was still angry at Nico, _furious_ at the son of Hades from keeping the fact that he was sleeping with Percy a secret from him. But he was more angry with himself for how he handled the situation, and undoubtedly caused the outcome. Nico’s sleeping with Percy dulled in comparison to the fact that he was missing and that if he was never found again, the last word that he would remember Jason saying to him were scathing, cold, and harsh. So fucking harsh that the thought of the words he, himself spoke made his own chest ache, despite the fact that the words weren’t directed at him, but at the son of Hades.

He wanted Nico back with him, snuggled closely against his side in the unconscious, feline way he tended to do. He wanted Nico so badly, it hurt. And he was such an idiot for letting him go in the first place. “We’re here,” Annabeth declared softly, but her voice rang through Jason’s mind so loudly, it was as if she had shouted.

And he was almost positive that if she had, indeed shouted, she wouldn’t have really been heard if not for the fact that she was so close to his side. The female voice that had so graciously notified Jason of Nico’s whereabouts when he was in the dining pavilion was still going strong, her voice unwavering as she insisted with who Jason would only guess was Dionysus, that the son of Hades was missing.

“You’re not listening to me! He is gone. I have checked everywhere you continue to assume he is, but _he is not there_ , father!”

“Father?”

Jason turned at the sound of Piper’s voice, slowly approaching their little group with Leo, Drew, and Cayden in tow. At the sight of his older brother, Callum broke free from Annabeth’s grasp with a slight, sleepy smile and was immediately scooped up into Cayden’s arms. “I…I’m going to take him back to the cabin,” Cayden declared uncomfortably, his gaze nervously darting over to the Big House, and his arms gradually tightening around his younger brother as the voice grew louder. Jason could sense the older son of Hebe’s unease at being so close to a place that was seemingly dangerous with his younger brother clutched in his arms.

“That’s a good idea,” Piper said, her kaleidoscope gaze fixed on the farm house, her eyes momentarily darting over to Annabeth, who nodded in agreement, concern furrowing her blonde brows. “I’ll meet up with you later, okay?”

Cayden nodded swiftly, then cast one last wary look at the Big House before he quickly walked off with his younger brother safely secured in his arm, seeming to want—no _need_ —to be as far away from the Big House as possible. “She keeps calling him ‘father’,” Piper murmured softly, her eyes scanning the structure of the building calculatingly.

“No shit,” Drew snapped, her hands—which were stained with mustard from the burger she had been _devouring_ , not eating, for lunch—twitching by her sides as she stared at the door of the Big House, looking seconds away from kicking the door down to get to whomever was inside. “If she’s saying that Nico’s missing, what are we still doing standing out here like a bunch of dumb asses?”

“We can’t just charge in there without knowing who’s in there. They could be dangerous. That may be why Mr. D wanted us away from the area today,” Leo announced seriously, his gaze nervously—no, guiltily—darting over to Jason before he determinedly looked back at the Big House, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

Jason was resolute not to look into the source of his friends discomfort as Annabeth spoke. He had to focus; he couldn’t afford to be distracted by anything or anyone. “He’s right,” Annabeth looked away from the Big House and to Drew, a stern look on her lovely features. “We have to bide our time—.”

Drew snorted, tensing all over as she tossed a stubborn glare in the daughter of Athena’s direction. “Please, while you guys sit out here ‘biding your fucking time,’ I’m going in there, and I’m going to figure out who the hell that chick is, and how she knows about Nico.”

And before anyone could stop her, or at least get a hold of her, Drew was storming off, her sights set on the door of the building. “ _Drew_!” Piper hissed, much too late at this point, “Stop—!”

Before the daughter of Aphrodite could finish her sentence, the door to the Big House was flung open, and there, standing in the entryway, was one of the most beautiful girls Jason had ever seen.

The girl had long, midnight black colored curls that fall her back, and stopped just above her waist. She was curvy in all of the right places, the elegant, yet simple, form fitting, cream colored sundress she wore making sure everyone around her was aware of the fact. Her skin was a perfect shade middle between tan and fair, bringing out the simply red color of her lips and drawing even more attention to her ethereal beauty. But Jason couldn't say for sure if the red on her lips was lipstick or not. It almost looked to be—.

“Dio—!” Dionysus cut himself off as he came storming through the doorway, nearly barreling into the girl that was blocking the entrance, who merely sneered in his direction. To say that Jason was shocked to see Dionysus lose his cool for the first time since he had met him was an understatement. Who was this girl?

“Who…who is that?” Leo asked in awe echoing Jason’s inner thoughts, though undoubtedly unaware of the fact that he had spoken aloud.

Dionysus truly looked at a loss for words for the first time since Jason had met him, his dark brows furrowing with dismay as he ran and hand through his dark curls. “She’s…she’s, ah…her name is—.”

“I am Diana,” the girl, now identified as Diana cut across, sending the god of wine a scathing glare over her shoulder, causing her long locks of curls to cascade down over her shoulder. “I am this simpleton’s daughter.”

Gods, Jason didn’t know whether to be more appalled at the fact that Dionysus had another child—who he noticed looked to be only a few years older than he and his friends as was the spitting, much more attractive image of Dionysus himself— _or_ at the fact that she had just called him a “simpleton” and had not been incinerated on the spot. “You’re his…?” Annabeth trailed off, seeming to be at a loss for words herself.

“His daughter,” Diana filled in with a small nod of her head, a single, dark colored brow rising as she observed the demigod’s gathered before her, finally noticing that Drew was gaping at her. “Is this the way all demigods greet an imm—.”

“Diana,” Dionysus hissed pointedly, though Drew was deterred from her task of ogling, her mouth now hanging open as her eyes raced across Diana’s form, attempted to take in every little feature on the female.

“You…you have _wonderful_ skin! What’s your secret?” Drew rambled then, gave her head a small, but firm shake, evidently to keep herself on track as she scowled, not at Dionysus’s daughter, but at her own loss of concentration. “No, no, don’t answer that. Where’s Nico?”

The small smile of amusement that had formed on the daughter of Dionysus’s face slowly fell at the mention of Nico, her eyes darkening measurably. “He is missing.”

Dionysus sighed, exasperation evident in his expulsion of breath as he raised his hand to his forehead, his knuckles carefully kneading his skin. “We don’t know that for sure—.”

“Close your mouth this instant, father. I will not have you make a fool of not only yourself, but me as well because you are too naïve to realize that another one of your campers are missing,” Diana snapped, and much to not only Jason’s but to the surprise of everyone around him, Dionysus’s mouth closed, if only for a moment. “I cannot sense him anywhere nearby—.”

“Then he must be in the Underworld,” Annabeth added with a tone of finality, much to Jason’s surprise. He had thought that she would be the first one to figure out that Diana had said that she had not sensed him anywhere, not seen him. Strange.

“He is _not_ in the Underworld,” Jason found himself saying in unison with the apparent daughter of Dionysus, despite his puzzlement over her strange wording.

Slowly, her gaze landed on him, and Jason was frozen by those familiar yet unfamiliar set of light brown eyes with a hint of insanity in their depths. With an elegance that was so prim she could have be floating, Diana made her way down the weather worn stairs of the Big House, gently shouldering past Drew, and the others that were in her way before she stood before Jason, standing only a few inches shorter than him. “You are the son of Jupiter?”

Jason nodded hesitantly, the tone of her voice giving nothing away. But maybe that was because Jason was so focused on placing her unfamiliar lilt. _Focus, Grace, focus_ , he mentally whispered to himself. _She might know where Nico is_. “I am.”

Diana studied him with those light brow orbs that were similar to her father’s, and Jason sucked in a sharp breath as she took a step closer, bringing them nearly chest to chest. “You are aware that Nico is truly missing, and is more than likely in grave danger, yes?”

Jason let out a shuddering breath at the mention of Nico being in danger, his fists clenching by his sides as he nodded, more confidently this time around. “I am.”

“And you are also aware that he needs to be found at all cost, correct?”

“Yes, I—.”

“And you _are_ the same son of Jupiter who has hurt him on multiple occasions?”

Despite the fact that he was already short on breath, the air was forced from Jason’s lungs as he stared at Diana with wide, sky blue eyes. How…how did she know that? “I…I—.”

“Find me my demigod,” she demanded, breezily cutting him off, and the tone of her voice brokering no room for argument or interjection as she studied the sword—Nico’s sword—that he had forgotten was clutched in his hand, attempting to keep her features cool and stern as she noticed the aviator jacket in the crook of his arm. “Not only do you owe it to me, but you owe it to him as well.”

From where he was standing on the porch of the Big House, Dionysus made a sound akin to a growl. But it wasn’t a growl of aggression, but of warning, and dare he say, nervousness? “Dio—.”

“I…I will,” Jason promised softly, although puzzled by her wording more than anything else. Her demigod? Nico was her demigod? What did that mean? And why was she referring to Nico the way it meant as if she wasn’t a half-blood herself?

Diana seemed to relax ever so slightly at that, the tension in her shoulders fading as she nodded, taking a fluid step back, and when she did so; Jason noticed that it was slightly easier to breath, as if she had been sucking up all of the oxygen around them. There…there was something off about that girl. “Good, then I shall take my leave,” she murmured, nodding towards her father with a small smile on her beautiful features despite the animosity that seemed to be evident between them earlier on. And Jason noticed that there was an emotion in her eyes that he couldn’t quite place at the time being, but before he could even consider attempting to place it, the emotion was gone, and Diana was smiling at her father, though the light reflecting in her smile didn’t quite seem to reach her eyes. “I will see you soon, father. I love you.”

And with that, she turned on her heel and began the walk towards Half-Blood Hill, making the long trek look rather effortless. “Ungrateful child,” Dionysus murmured, drawing attention back his face, his brows furrowed in what seemed to be irritation, though there was a trace of adoration in his eyes that seemed to grow when his daughter declared her love for him. It was quite a strange look on the immortal.

As his friends and comrades seemed to break from the stupor that Dionysus’s daughter seemed to cause, they began to question the Olympian god, barely giving him a chance to answer their questions that they were asking in rapid fire. Distantly, due to the fact that he was not quite able to understand what had just occurred, Jason found himself turning to watch Diana go his eyes widening and the breath rushing from his lungs for what seemed to be the millionth time that afternoon as he laid eyes on her.

She had vanished. Not simply disappeared beyond the dip of the hill, but _vanished_ out of thin air. Jason blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what he had seen. He had learned at a young age, that everything is not what it seemed, and that more than often, your eyes were not deceiving you.

And so he knew, right then and there, that that was no normal child of Dionysus.

“Jason?”

The blonde turned at the sound of his name, his distant gaze focusing on Piper’s lovely features that were currently twisted with concern. “You…you okay?”

“Yeah, I just…she was really—.”

“Strange?” Leo offered, looking Jason in the eyes for the first time since he had so kindly informed the son of Jupiter that Nico and Percy were messing around.

Before Jason could offer up his opinion, Dionysus was clearing his throat and leveling Leo with a cool, but dangerous glare, his light brown eyes glinting with a hint of mad insanity. “That’s my daughter you’re talking about,” he drawled, a single, dark brow rising.

“Did I say strange?!” Leo spluttered nervously with an unnaturally large smile. “I mean to say gorgeous. Completely and utterly _beautiful_. I meant, what a lucky girl, blessed with such fabulous genes!”

Dionysus watched him, appeasement evident in his eyes as he studied the son of Hephaestus closely. “Nice save, Mr. Valdivia, but you won’t be so lucky next time.”

Leo frowned momentarily, opening his mouth to evidently correct Mr. D, but his mouth snapped shut when Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder, inconspicuously giving her head a small shake. “Mr. D, how did she know about Nico?”

Piper nodded, her head tilting to the side curiously. “I’ve never seen her around her before—.”

“Please, she doesn’t go here. I all of all people should know that, because I would have made her life a living hell for being even the slightest bit prettier than me,” Drew scoffed, and everyone turned to gape at her, except for Mr. D who had conjured up a goblet undoubtedly filled with Diet Coke, and was sipping leisurely, oblivious to the admission the daughter of Aphrodite had just made.

Annabeth opened and closed her mouth wordlessly for a second, before she visibly shook herself of her Drew induced stupor. “Did… did you just…?”

“Even I can be honest sometimes,” Drew pointed out, flipping her glossy locks over her shoulder.

“Is that why you gave me so much crap when I first came here?” Piper questioned slowly with an honest curiosity, her brows furrowed; despite how self-centered the question sounded, there was a skeptically inquisitive look in Piper’s kaleidoscope eyes.

Drew snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself, McLean. I was just offended by your blatant disrespect for all things fashionable. I mean come on, that ski, or snowboarding—whatever the hell it is—jacket you sport around is so—.”

“As you were saying, about Mr. D’s daughter, Piper?” Annabeth cut across, sending Drew a stern look.

“Right,” the crease in Piper’s brow smoothed out now that things were getting back on track. “Mr. D, how come she doesn’t stay at camp? Does she live at Camp Jupiter?”

Before Mr. D could answer, Jason was shaking his head, his hands tightening around Nico’s sword. “I’ve lived at Camp Jupiter almost all my life, and I’ve never seen her there once, and she’s around our age.”

Mr. D made a sound of amusement in the back of his throat, lowering his goblet from his lips as he watched Jason with a look of disinterest. “Did you even stop to consider the fact that it’s been almost a year since you’ve been at Camp Jupiter? Your little impromptu trip excluded. She might have begun residing there after you made yourself comfortable at my quaint little Camp Half-Blood.”

“She’s Greek,” Jason said without hesitation, his chin lifting a notch. “I could sense it. I’m Roman; I _know_ the difference between us and Greeks. And besides, I caught a few words of Ancient Greek when you two were arguing. Add that on to the fact that, Reyna and Frank would have told me about any newcomers either while I was there, or in an Iris Message. Also, she’s your daughter; you would have made sure that she was nestled away at one camp or the other.”

Dionysus watched Jason carefully, the corners of his lips tightening almost unnoticeably. “Your point, exactly Mr. Gray?”

Jason ignored Mr. D’s blatant incorrect use of his last name. “How does she know Nico if she doesn’t live here, or at Camp Jupiter?”

“Yeah, and why haven’t we seen her around more often if she’s your kid?” Leo added in with a slight nod of his head.

Mr. D’s mouth thinned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “First and foremost, if you value your lives, you will not speak of her, or mention her to any of the other campers,” he drawled lazily, despite the threat he was making against the half-blood’s lives. “Secondly, how she is acquainted with Mr. di Angelo is a question that you should have asked her while she was here. Now, good day to you all.”

And with that, Dionysus turned swiftly, disappearing beyond the door of the Big House, the thud of the rickety screen door banging against the frame the only evidence that he had been there in the first place. Jason stared at the spot Mr. D had vacated, his chest aching with desperation. Diana might have been the only hope they had in finding Nico, and now, not only was she gone, but Mr. D refused to divulge any information about her. Why?

“Maybe she’s a touchy subject?” Piper offered hesitantly, answering Jason’s mental question.

“I doubt that,” Annabeth murmured softly, her arms crossing over her chest as she assessed the Big House critically. “They’re close, I can tell. Despite the fact that I’ve never seen her around before and I’ve been staying at Camp Half-Blood since I was seven years old. So, I’m not exactly sure they’re as close as I sense they are when they rarely have time to see one another.”

“Maybe she lives on Olympus?” Leo offered with a shrug, eyeing the nail filer that Drew had whipped out warily as the daughter of Aphrodite angrily began filing her rather long, surprisingly un-manicured nails.

“Bullshit,” Drew snapped, her filing increasing in fervor as she glared down at her nails. “Why would a demigod live on Olympus? Golden Boy over here is a child of Zeus—.”

“Jupiter,” Jason cut across on instinct, his eyes narrowing as his chest constricted at the familiar pet name. “And don’t call me that.”

“Tomato, _tomato_ ,” Drew said, waving around her nail filer wildly, much to Leo’s obvious displeasure. “As I was saying, _Jason_ here is a son of _Jupiter_ , and yet, he’s still down here with the rest of us mundane demigods, so why would a kid of Dionysus be any different?”

“She has a point,” Piper said after a moment of weighty silence. “And there would be no reason for Mr. D to stash her away on Olympus. He hasn’t done that with Pollux, so why is this girl any different?”

“But she is different,” Jason murmured distantly, oblivious to the gazes that he had drawn with his statement.

“Different how?” Annabeth questioned, the tone of her voice slightly irritated, not at Jason, but at the fact that he apparently knew something she didn’t. It was a child of Athena thing.

His golden blonde brows furrowed, and he gave a small, frustrated shake of his head as his head as he tried to formulate his thoughts into words. “I…I don’t think she’s a demigod.”

Silence followed his declaration, and Jason looked up from Nico’s sword to study the half-bloods around him. “Well she’s most certainly not immortal, so we can cross that off of the list,” Annabeth said resolutely.

“How come?” Drew questioned, genuinely perplexed.

“Because if she were an immortal, she would be known throughout mythology as Mr. D’s daughter, but, as far as I can remember—and I do know my mythology—there’s no Diana that’s a daughter of Dionysus.”

“Then maybe she’s a nymph or something?” Leo chimed in, looking to Annabeth for confirmation. “I mean, it would make sense. Mr. D getting it on with a nymph of like… grapes or something. Hey! She could be the reason Mr. D is here in the first place, you know, chasing after that little nymph that Zeus said was off limits. Diana could be a result of that little chasey-chasey, if you know what I mean. And that’s probably why he doesn’t like to talk about her.”

Somewhere between Leo’s little epiphany, Drew had started cracking up, forgoing her nail filing to listen intently to the son of Hephaestus. Jason found a small smile lifting the corners of his lips at his best friend’s rambling, and Leo seemed to notice that small smile of Jason’s lips if the wide, contagious, cheesy smile in response was anything to go by. “While that’s a good guess, Leo, I’m sure that’s not it,” Annabeth said with a smile.

“Okay, I’m straying off topic here, but I have to ask, where the hell is Percy?” Drew leveled Annabeth with an expectant look, her hip jutted out as she waited for a response.

At the mention of her boyfriend’s name, the smile slipped from Annabeth’s features, replaced by a look of cold detachment. “I don’t know where he is, why don’t you go to his cabin and find out?” the frigid tone of her voice had Jason frowning, and before anyone could question the daughter of Athena’s rapid change in demeanor, Annabeth turned on her heel, tearing a few blades of grass out of the ground with her sharp turn in the direction of the cabins. And distantly, Jason realized she was going out of her way to not only avoid looking at the cabin of Poseidon, but crossing its path.

“Gods, what did I say?” Drew grumbled, apparently affronted by Annabeth’s standoffish behavior.

“I’ll…I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Piper said, already her eyes following Annabeth’s movements, and Jason knew that she was going to go to daughter of Athena to find out what was wrong with her.

Did she and Percy have a fight? So soon after she got back from San Francisco? Or…or maybe she knew. About Nico and Percy. “Yeah, sure,” Leo said, giving Piper a small wave as she turned from them and began jogging after Annabeth, insistently calling out the older female demigod’s name.

Leo’s words had cut off Jason’s line of thinking before it could properly begin, and he turned to his best friend, who was smiling uneasily at him. Drew eyed the two with a cattish curiosity, twirling her filer in her hand with a practiced precision. Leo cleared his throat, nervousness evident in the single sound before he spoke. “Um, Superman, do you think I could talk to you for a moment—?”

The son of Hephaestus’s words were cut off as an unearthly chill caused the three remaining demigods to shudder, their proverbial hackles rising. It was never cold at Camp Half-Blood, no matter what time of the year it was, or the time of day. It could be snowing beyond Half-Blood Hill, and they would never feel the cold because of the camp’s magical weather regulator. So why were they feeling this cold now?

Jason turned to look at Drew sharply as he heard the daughter of Aphrodite gasp loudly, her nail filer falling from her hands and to the ground, the blood gradually draining from her face. “What is it, Drew?” Jason asked lowly, his hands tightening measurably around Nico’s sword.

“Behind you, Superman,” Leo said, his eyes trained on something behind him as a single hand slowly lowered to his tool belt, undoubtedly to draw out a weapon if the look in his eyes was anything to go by.

Jason’s mouth tightened as he gave Drew and Leo what he hoped was a reassuring nod as simultaneously, he mentally counted to three. One. Two. Three. On three, the son of Jupiter whirled around, drawing Nico’s sword from its sheath in the process, his arms rising to point the sword at his evident attacker, but he drew up short, his heart throwing itself against his ribs as he registered the sword pointed dead between his eyes.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, son of Jupiter.”

The beings voice sent chills down his spine, as Jason finally realized it was this that had caused the unnatural chill that had settled amongst them. There standing before him, was what he could only describe as the living dead, armor hanging from the being’s grimy bones. Momentarily, his gaze strayed beyond the sword that was pointed at him and behind the being, where he realized a hellhound was standing, and not the cute, cuddly Mrs. O’Leary type hellhound, but the pure bred Underworld hellhound, its lips drawn back in a snarl. “What do you want?” he asked carefully, determinedly keeping his voice measured as he drew his gaze back to the being before him.

“Lower your sword,” the being hissed, and for a moment, Jason wished it had eyes so that there would be a slight possibility that he would be able to tell what it was thinking. “It is not necessary for you to lower it to the ground, but hang it at your side. Loosely.”

Jason did as he was told, keeping his eyes on the being all the while. “Tell your friends to stand down. I know the female over there is a child of Aphrodite, and the second she opens her mouth to whisper a word of that wretched charmspeak, my hellhound will be on her. So unless you want her or the son of Hephaestus dead, you will tell them to stand down. Now.”

“Guys, you heard him. Stand down,” Jason commanded coolly, not turning to look at the two demigods behind him.

“No,” Leo said strongly, and Jason could hear him rifling through his tool belt, still searching for—or creating—a viable weapon.

Jason’s heart doubled its pace as the being turned to his hellhound, his jaw lowering to undoubtedly command it to attack. “ _Leo_!” Jason snapped, putting as much authority into his best friend’s name as he could. “Stand down, _now_.”

“Jason—.”

“ _Now, Leo_.”

Jason knew the moment that Leo removed his hand from his tool belt, and mentally, he gave a soft sigh of relief, despite the fact that he still had a sword pointed at his face, too closely to be comfortable. “Okay, now, you’re going to take Drew, and you’re going to get out of here. Don’t argue with me, just do it.”

He could hear Leo swallowing with some difficulty, but he could also hear the skin-on-skin contact the son of Hephaestus made with Drew, more than likely pulling her from the scene if the fast sound of feet moving through the grass was anything to go by. “Children of Zeus,” the being marveled, and Jason knew if the thing had a face, it would probably be smiling mockingly right now. “Always the martyrs.”

“What do you want from me?” Jason asked, lifting his chin a notch, not even flinching when the sword followed his movement.

“Believe it or not, I come in peace.”

The being cackled as Jason snorted dubiously. “Excuse me if I find that more than a little hard to believe considering the fact that you have a sword pointed to my face at the moment.”

The being shrugged, which was strange to see, considering it had no muscle or flesh, so it was all bone movement. “I needed some incentive in order to convince you to come with me.”

Come with him? Scratch that, he didn’t know what the heck that thing was; come with it? Now Jason was confused. “Come with you, where?”

The being tilted its head to the side, the hellhound behind it shifting restlessly and subtly shaking the ground below their feet. “Jason Grace, you have been summoned by Lord Hades; the ruler of the Underworld. You have been ordered to come with me immediately...you _and_ the son of Poseidon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cue the angsty music.  
> SO!  
> What do you all think Hades wants with our little heroes? [ ;  
> Thanks for reading you all, and thank you for leaving kudos, comments, bookmarking, and merely reading this story. It means a lot. [ :  
> Anyway, tell me what you thought of this chapter, I love reading you all's opinions. [ ;  
> Okay then, ciao for now. ; *


	25. Dark Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Find my son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boo, I took longer than I thought I would. But I guess that's a good things as well, because if I would have posted this chapter when I was ready to, it would have been a simple 8,000+ words, which, I'm not saying is a little, because it's not at all, it's just that length is very important to me. I know my updates can take a while, so what I lack for in promptness, I make up for in the length of the chapters. [ x  
> I'm rather tired at the moment, so as soon as I post this, I'm ouuuuuuuuut. Coffee can only support me for so long.  
> That being said, lemme get this little note thingy done with, because my eyes are threatening to fall shut on me. [ ;  
> Thank you too my wonderful beta Wookiecookie, who puts just about as much time beta-ing my chapters as I do writing them, I know it can't be easy to beta so much content, so thanks, hon. [ :  
> Thanks to all of you who simply read the story, and those who go beyond and leave comments, bookmarks, kudos, and even subscribe to the story.  
> Let's get this show on the road then.  
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcomed.  
> Enjoy. [ :  
> * The title of this chapter does not belong to me, it is actually owned by the lovely Lana Del Rey, who sings the song, "Dark Paradise." All credit to her. *

** Percy’s POV **

Percy lay stretched out on the bed, burrowed beneath his comforter, a bag of chips nestled in one arm, and a small pile of blue M&M’s strewn out before him, the various other colors having been dropped to the floor sometime ago, evidence of this this littered across the floor. The son of Poseidon slowly reached out, snatching one of the candies and popping it into his mouth, where he then chewed mechanically, not quite taking in the taste of the chocolate delicacy as he plunged a hand into his bag of chip, frowning when his hand came back out as empty.

This was the way he had been since yesterday, not moving except during those rare moment when he had to take a leak. And well, those moments weren’t quite so rare considering he had been guzzling down jug after jug of blue Hawaiian Punch. Blue food had always been his comfort, and by now, he was sure he was sporting a blue, juice mustache, as well as a blue colored tongue from all of the blue food he had eaten. Hell, he was sure his fingertips were stained with the color as well. But it was a comforting sight. And gods, he needed all the comfort he could get.

It had barely been twenty-four hours, and already he missed Annabeth. Sure, she was around, and if he wished to speak with her, he would only have to walk a little ways to find her. But it wasn’t like that anymore. Now, he wasn’t welcomed to speak to her, wasn’t welcomed to chat with her, tease her, kiss her, or hold her. He wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. And he had no one to blame but himself for that.

In a few days, he was sure everyone at camp would find out about his infidelity, and while he didn’t quite care about what people thought of him—because he truly did deserve all of the hell that was sure to be coming his way—, all he could worry about was how Annabeth would take the new attention, the _embarrassment_ , and the prying from other campers. Annabeth had always hated being humiliated after all; her fatal flaw was her pride. And now, he had been the one to put her in such an uncomfortable position, where her pride would surely be put to the test.

Not only had he embarrassed her, he hurt her as well, and to know that he did that…well, it sucked. What had he been thinking when he decided that sleeping with Nico was a good idea? At the time, he had been thinking that they were untouchable, that nobody would ever find out, that it wouldn’t mean anything at all, and therefore, he wouldn’t lose Annabeth. He hadn’t counted on developing some sort of feelings for Nico, and not the romantic type, no, but something along the lines of affection. He didn’t think it would hurt losing both Annabeth _and_ Nico. And for Zeus’s sake, he most certainly hadn’t bet on getting to know the son of Hades better in a month or so than in the many years he had known him.

Percy pulled the covers from over his head when the heat became unbearable, and he gave a soft unconscious sigh as the cool, saltwater scented air of his cabin flowed over him, soothing his overheated form. He stared up at the bottom of Tyson’s bunk, one hand splayed out over his bare chest, and the other scrambling to snatch up another handful of his blue M&Ms.  The dark-haired demigod stared at the planks of the bed, tracing the lines of the wood idly, before he sighed softly once again, tearing his eyes away from ceiling and to the door.

He knew that he needed to get up, to go back out into the world and get shit done, but he wasn’t ready for that yet. He wasn’t ready to face Annabeth as nothing. Not her boyfriend, not her friend, or acquaintance, absolutely _nothing_. Grover had come knocking on his door like he had done every morning since his “volunteer” work began, but today unlike the others, he didn’t answer. For nearly fifteen minutes straight, the satyr stood on the other side of the door, gradually getting louder when Percy refused to answer, or go to open the door. He knew he was wrong for not mustering up what strength and courage he had left, and going to work on reparations for the camp, but he couldn’t have gotten himself to move out of bed if he tried. And after a while of irritated knocks, and frustrated sighs, Grover had stormed off with an aggravated bleat.

Percy cringed at the mere thought, realizing—for what seemed the hundredth time—that he would have to apologize to his best friend. When he finally decided to leave his cabin. And he was sure that wouldn’t be very soon.

For the time being, he was rather content to lie in bed, and wallow in his deep pit of self pity, though he knew he didn’t deserve sympathy from anyone, even himself. He had royally fucked up. And he needed to fix his mistakes.

But saying and _doing_ were two completely different things.

In his mind, Percy had already formulated a plan, to apologize to Annabeth, _properly_ this time, as well as to Grover. Talk to Nico, tell him…well, and tell him what he had already told Percy— that they couldn’t keep sleeping together. Not because he was planning to get back together with Annabeth, no, no matter how much he wanted to beg her to take him back, he knew he didn’t even have a right to ask. He didn’t have the _audacity_. Hell, he wasn’t known for being the brightest crayon in the box, but nor was he known for being the dullest; he knew when it was time to give up. Percy cringed at his on word usage. Well, not exactly give up, because he would never give up on Annabeth, never. But he knew when to lay off, knew when lay down his hand of cards, because right now, with Annabeth, he had a terrible hand, and it didn’t look like it would be getting any better soon.

But he needed to stop sleeping with Nico, to stop _using_ him for his own selfish needs, because not only was it screwing with the son of Hades’ mind and emotions, but it was screwing with his own. Percy let out a shaky breath, his gaze falling to something that seemed to be so out of place in his cabin that it stuck out like a sore thumb; one of Nico’s ratty old Converse. He propped himself up on his elbows, his gaze never deviating from the well-worn footwear tucked in a corner and nearly hidden by his own piles of clothes, haphazardly strewn around the room.

Maybe, if it had been another time, another place, and if Annabeth weren’t in the picture, Percy could honestly see himself falling for Nico. But now…now, he couldn’t think of being in a relationship with anyone but Annabeth. He loved her, despite how his actions said the contrary, and if he was being honest with himself, he knew he wasn’t good for Nico. It would be completely wrong for him to try and get into a relationship with Nico after his breakup with Annabeth, because that would prove to the younger demigod that he was second place in his mind. And Percy knew, even if he did get into a relationship with Nico, the second Annabeth wanted him back, he would come running. And Nico didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

He deserved someone like Jason, no matter how much the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. Jason would take care of him, would always be there for him, and would never, _ever_ , do half of the things that Percy had done to the younger demigod. Jason and Nico just went well together, no matter how much people, even himself, denied that they were too much of an opposite of each other. Percy had seen the two of them interact, and never before had he ever seen Nico so comfortable around someone who wasn’t Hazel, or his deceased sister, Bianca. He had never seen anyone who wasn’t Nico’s family touch him as freely as Jason did, as a matter of fact, Percy had been _sure_ that Nico detested physical contact of any sort, and he had thought that he was the only exception. But it turned out that he was wrong.

Percy let out a soft, heavy exhalation of breath the disturbed his dark colored fringe. He had some making up to do, but how the hell did one go about fixing so _many_ of his wrongs? He may have permanently ruined any chance of him and Nico having a normal friendship, because _he_ had brought sex into the equation. And yes, it took two people to have sex, but he truly blamed himself for everything that had happened. Nico wasn’t to blame, no matter how much it seemed to be the case. Nico loved him, and because of that, he put up with Percy’s bullshit. He went along with whatever the older demigod said, in hopes of maybe being with him someday. Percy had never meant to lead him on; he had truly thought Nico had understood that they only had sex, no strings attached.

He couldn’t have been more mistaken.

Now that he looked back at the previous years, he felt stupid for not realizing that Nico was in love with him. All of the signs were there. All of the looks that the younger demigod would sneak in his direction that Percy know realized were looks of longing, said it all. The way his lips would tighten until they were no more than a severe, straight line when he was with Annabeth and his eyes would darken until they’d appear to be inky pools of darkness.

Gods, Nico di Angelo had been in love with him for years, and he was only realizing it now.

He was a fucking dimwitted prick. Not the hero that everyone said he was. What kind of hero cheated on his girlfriend with his friend, and ended up hurting both in the process? Yeah, one didn’t exist. More than anything—more than he wished for Annabeth back—Percy was wishing for another chance. Another chance to do things right, to fix his mistakes; hell, he wanted a do-over.

But he couldn’t always have what he wanted. This was real life, and in real life, there were no such things as do-overs. You couldn’t go back in the past and fix your mistakes. That’s what the present was for. Instead of lying in bed and wishing for a chance to go back in time, to _fix_ things, he needed to get his ass in gear and get shit done. He had nothing but time on his hands. No wars to worry about, no prophesies looming over his head, no imminent threats to his life—.

Percy halted his train of thought as a loud knock came from the other side of the door. Uncomfortably, he ran a hand through his disheveled locks, his eyes glued to the door. Grover was probably on the other side of that door. Now… _now_ would be a good time for him apologize, and to come clean about the things that had occurred in the last month, no matter how much he wanted to keep them a secret. But Grover was his best friend. And if he couldn’t spill his innermost secrets to the satyr, who was he supposed to share them with? Besides, he had just gone on a mental rant about there being “no time like the present”. So why didn’t he put his words into action right now?

Carefully making his way out of bed as the pounding on the other side of the door continued, Percy looked down at his attire, shrugging at his simple pajama set, his feet donning fluffy Finding Nemo slippers. Hey, at least he decided to wear clothes to bed for once, it would be much better than trying to answer the door butt naked, and scaring Grover half to death much like the time the satyr had snatched the bed covering from over him. From then on, Grover stuck to knocking.

With a small smile that he knew didn’t reach his eyes, Percy shuffled over to the door, snatching up a pouch of M&M’s and slipping them into his pocket as he passed by the edge of his pile of junk food, his hand lingering as his fingers trailed over Riptide. “I’m coming, I’m coming!” he said loudly, a frown marring his features. Grover was more persistent than usual.

With the frown still in place on his features, Percy grasped the knob, twisted it sharply and snatching the door open to stop that gods forsaken knocking. “Surprise.”

The voice sent unpleasurable chills down his spine, and before Percy could even attempt to place the voice that he knew he had heard somewhere before, he had a sword pointed at his face. Right in between his fucking eyes. “Oh come _on_ ,” he groaned, throwing his hands up, not in a sign of surrender, but in exasperation.

“Did I catch you at a bad time, Mr. Jackson?” the creature holding the sword hissed, and Percy’s eyes narrowed as he studied to hand holding the sword. Scratch that, the collection of _bones_.

This was not good.

“Greetings from the Underworld, son of Poseidon; you have been invited to pay a visit to Lord Hades.”

Oh this was really not good.

“Tell him I politely decline his offer to pay a visit. The Underworld just _isn’t_ on my list of vacation spots this year. Bummer,” Percy drawled out the last word, his hand slowing inching towards his pocket as the skeleton—and that was the _only_ proper term for it—twisted the sword, and he could imagine the thing was wishing it was _his_ face that he was twisting into instead of the thin air.

“I do apologize, but the visit is not optional. And it would be futile to attempt to escape, or even _ponder_ fighting back, seeing as the second you make a move to do any of those things, you will be mauled my hellhound over here,” if it were possible for skeletons to grin, this one was certainly doing so right now as he—well, Percy _guessed_ it was a he from the deep, chilling baritone of his voice—motioned over to the hellhound that he had failed to notice upon opening the door. Gods, being out of a state of war was really making him sloppy.

“Well, I’ve always been a ‘hellhound friendly’ kind of guy, but I think I could get away with slicing down this one. And you as well,” Percy inconspicuously dipped his hand into his pocket, his hand tightening around Riptide.

The skeleton cackled, shifting into a deceivingly lazy position. But Percy wasn’t deceived. He knew the second he made a move; the skeleton as well as the hellhound would be on him. Plus, that damn Underworld creature still had a sword pointed at his face. He would have to bide his time. “I would love to see you try, son of Poseidon. I have specific orders from Lord Hades not to lay a finger on the son of Jupiter, but he has permitted me to… _maim_ you if necessary. You only have to be alive when we get to the Underworld. But not in one piece.”

Before Percy could blurt the retort on the tip of his tongue, he clamped his mouth shut of his own will, his eyes gradually widening as he finally caught drift of what the being had said. “Wait, wait, wait, _wait_. Did you just say son of Jupiter?”

“That I did. Luckily for you, you will not be taking this trip alone. Jason Grace over here has a visitor’s pass to the Underworld as well.”

Percy huffed out a breath that was intended to be exasperated, but it came out shakily, and rather pathetic. He hadn’t come face-to-face with Jason ever since their fight a few days ago. Even during reparations, the two avoided one another like a plague, working as far away from one another as possible. The hellhound shifted slightly, and Percy’s stomach twisted into anxious coils as he finally caught sight of Jason, just as the skeleton had said, his chin lifted stubbornly and his hands balled into fists at his side. Well, he certainly looked happy to be here. “What, did he hold a sword up to your face too?” Percy deadpanned, a dark brow rising as he studied the son of Jupiter closely, his nervousness promptly forgotten as he studied the blonde closer.

He looked like hell.

Percy snorted as Jason merely turned his head, completely disregarding his presence. “Oh, you’re giving me the silent treatment, really? Now _that’s_ mature.”

The being looked back and forth between the two, idly tipping his sword from side-to-side as an uncomfortable silence settled around them. “I sense tension between you two.”

“Considering you have no skin or anything to feel much else, than must be a great feat for you, huh?” Percy quipped, slowly drawing his hand from his pocket, an item clasped in his fist.

“You are foolish, son of Poseidon, you think I do not realize that you have a concealed weapon within the pocket of your pants? Drop the item in your hand immediately.”

Percy scowled, waving around the pouch of M&M’s in his hand. He knew when he was outnumbered, and he wasn’t stupid enough to try his luck against a pure bred hellhound and a being of the Underworld; especially one that worked for Hades. “Um, how about, _no_? I paid good money for these babies.”

From beyond the skeleton, Percy heard Jason scoff condescendingly. “Can we go ahead and get going, I don’t have time to waste,” Jason said with what Percy could tell was a forced cool due to the fact that his jaw was clenched so tightly, he was surprised he didn’t hear the telltale cracking of teeth.

The skeleton dipped his head in what Percy could only call a respectful notion. Why couldn’t _he_ get any respect? _Because you don’t deserve it_. “Well said, son of Jupiter, let’s get a move on.”

~*~

The trip to the Underworld was… _awkward_ to say the least, and Percy found that the skeleton provided him with much more of a conversation than Jason did, but that didn’t stop him from trying as they trudged through the Underworld, their shadow travelling trip only taking them so far. “You look like shit,” he said casually, fishing through his bag of M &M’s for another blue one, a small triumphant smile lifting the corners of his lips when he finally found one, and he popped it into his mouth as he waited for Jason’s reply, desperately trying to ignore the screams of pain and anguish coming from the Fields of Punishment. At least that meant they were close, his feet were killing him.

“And you look like you’ve been devouring Smurfs.”

Percy frowned; self-consciously bring his hand up to his face and wiping at the area around his lips to no avail. Did he really, or was Jason just being an ass? “So, how’s life going for you?” he asked with a forced cheeriness, deciding to switch up tactics. He had always known Jason to be a rather friendly guy, so he wasn’t quite sure how to deal with _this_ Jason, the cold, aloof, and haughty one. But he couldn’t exactly deny that he didn't deserved this treatment.

Jason grinned at the ground as they trudged along, following the path to Hades’ palace. At first, Percy had taken this as a good sign, but that was until he saw how tensed the blonde was, and just how _tightly_ his fists were clenched. Gods, his smile was more like a grimace if anything. “It would be so much better if you’d quit trying to force a conversation with me.”

The skeleton made a sound akin to an amused whistle. How that was possible without lips of any sort, Percy wasn’t exactly sure. Maybe he blew through his teeth. “I think I like him. He just might kill you before I get the chance to do so myself,” the being marveled from the back of the pack, his sword leveled at Percy’s back.

“What did I ever do to you?” he grumbled, popping another M&M into his mouth, too distracted to even be concerned about the color of the candy he was chewing.

“The fact that you blatantly disrespect my Lord Hades is enough for me to want to kill you.”

Then it clicked; the voice and the sheer viciousness of the being. “Hey, I know you! I’ve killed you before.”

The skeleton made a sound akin to a growl, and Percy knew he had hit the nail on the head. This was the leader of Hades’ army of the dead, and when he was fifteen, soon to be sixteen, Nico had led him down to the Underworld—basically leading him into a trap—and he was forced to fight legions of the dead after taking a dip in the River Styx. He remembered this particular skeleton being in the path of Riptide. The armor was a telltale sign of his high ranking, and Percy faintly remembered him escorting him to the dungeon the last time he was here, before his swim in the Styx.

“You can’t kill someone who is already dead,” the skeleton snapped, prodding him in the back with the blunt edge of his sword, and Percy quickened his pace. He didn’t plan on becoming a demigod-kebab anytime soon.

Percy let out a heavy breath through his nose as they neared the palace of Hades, his nostrils flaring subtly as he stared at the familiar black and bronze makeup of the palace. He most certainly didn’t have his best memories at this place. The palace was beautiful in an intimidating, elegant sort of way, unlike Mount Olympus, which was warm and welcoming, yet powerful at the same time. Hades’ palace…well, let’s just say it made him want to carry around teddy bear and nightlight seeing as he knew what was waiting beyond the gates: in a dignified manner of course.

He turned as he heard Jason suck in a sharp breath, his sky blue orbs as wide as saucers as he stared at the palace, his skin an ashy, pallid color from hearing the screams echoing from the Fields of Punishment for the first time in his life, but he seemed to be momentarily distracted as they stopped in front of the gates of the palace. “Wait,” the skeleton said, his tone all business, and Percy noticed movement from the corner of his eye, barely stifling a groan.

“More dead dudes?” he huffed, withholding a wince as a woman—dead of course—approached them, a gaping wound in her chest, staining the material of her military garb. “Or should I say more dead dudes _and_ chicks.”

The zombie chick didn’t look amused as she stood at attention before the skeleton that had escorted them through the Underworld. “General,” she said sharply, swiftly bringing her hand to her head and holding it there in a salute until she was addressed by the apparent general of Hades’ undead army. Percy turned to the skeleton, his jaw dropping open as he took in the sight of him.

Standing behind him where the skeleton had once been stood a burly man with a light brown colored buzz cut, in the same garb the skeleton had once worn. The only difference being that there was a bullet wound at the side of his head in the same spot where Percy had noticed a crack in the skeleton’s skull. Percy gaped as the general grinned toothily at him, the smile not reaching his eyes. Percy absently wondered if it ever _had_. “You…you were just…”

“It’s hard to keep a strong hold of flesh in the upper world. Besides, I believed that simple bones would be much more intimidating.”

Percy snorted, his hand tightening around his bag of candy. “Please, you’re all muscle and twice the size of me; I would have been intimidated if you had showed up dressed as the Easter Bunny.”

The General pursed his lips, giving his head a thoughtful nod after a moment of silence. “I will take that into consideration.”

He then turned to the woman still waiting for his acknowledgement. He gave her a sharp nod, and she swiftly lowered her hand to her side, her rather menacing looking sword slung over her shoulder. “Permission to speak, General,” she requested, not even looking back at Percy when he snorted, or Jason when he tightened his hands around Nico’s sword and aviator jacket.

Why the hell did he have those things anyway?

“Why did she ask for permission to speak if she just spoke while asking for permission to do so?” Percy found himself asking, his mouth promptly shutting when the General held his sword up to his throat without turning to look at him. “Hey, I just asked a question!”

“You were much less irritating when you had a sword pointed at your back,” the General commented, and Percy glared in Jason’s direction as the blonde grumbled his agreement.

Before he could come up with a retort, the General was speaking to the zombie chick, his sword still leveled at Percy’s throat. “Permission granted.”

“Lord Hades awaits you in his throne room. You are to take the prisoners with you, General, sir.”

“Prisoners?” Percy asked warily as he sensed Jason tensing at his side. “I thought we were _visitors_.”

“That all depends upon how your visit with Lord Hades goes,” the General said disinterestedly before lowering his sword, only to point it back at Percy’s back. “Continue as you were, First Lieutenant.”

With a quick salute, the zombie chick turned sharply on her heel, marching back to her previous position. And Percy was rather grateful for that, the gruesome wound in her chest paired with the news they had just gotten along with all the junk food he had consumed earlier was not making for a pretty outcome. “Onward,” the General commanded as the gates to the palace swung open, and the hellhound led the way, its tail swishing happy behind it. At least _someone_ was glad to be here.

As they walked through the gates, a familiar smell wafted into his nose, alerted his senses that they were about to pass through Persephone’s Garden; he could smell the pomegranates from here. “What’s that smell?” Jason asked curiously, not to anyone in particular as his nostrils flared, and Percy heard his slow inhalations of breath as he attempted to catch the scent once more. Well that would be easy; they were heading right towards the source. “It smells… _fruity_.”

“We are approaching Persephone’s Garden, the scent you smell is more likely the infamous pomegranate tree, if not the scent of her plants,” the General answered, glancing in Jason’s direction before looking forward again.

Sure, he could give _Jason_ a proper answer, but when he, Percy, asked a question, he got a sword to the throat. That was fair.

“The cursed pomegranate tree to be exact,” Percy added on impulse.

“What other pomegranate tree would there be?” Jason mumbled dryly.

Hey, at least he responded this time. That was an achievement in and of itself.

The general chuckled, and Percy scowled, noticing that he only seemed to show some sort of positive emotion at _his_ expense. When they finally reached the garden, he and Jason sucked in a breath in unison, their heads swiveling from side-to-side to take in the beauty of the garden. “Truly magnificent, isn’t it?” the General murmured, his own eyes flitting over the expanse of exotic greenery before them.

And he was right; it was _more_ than magnificent.

Every plant you could think of was within that garden, from a simply daisy, to vibrant musas, and the rather infamous lotus. The only thing missing about the place was the sound of buzzing bees and various other insects, the scurrying of small animals, and the sounds of wind rustling through the plants.

But this was the Underworld, the only living things here were Hades and Persephone, and the occasional Nico di Angelo.

Not for the first time, and probably not the last, Percy noticed the luminescent gleam of the plants. Even they had magic cast around them to keep them alive in the Underworld conditions. Without the magic, the plants would shrivel up at die. Percy inwardly prayed that day never came, because the garden was the only welcoming thing about the palace. He at least wanted to remember something beautiful if he was walking to his death. Along with that, the beauty of the garden soothed his anxiety over simply _being_ in the Underworld.

He had figured he had done a good job of not showing it, but he was absolutely _terrified_ to be here, knowing that below the surface of the Underworld there was Tartarus, the place that had traumatized him for the rest of his life. That place…it had taken a part of him that he knew he would never get back, and to be so close to it was nerve-wracking to say the least.

But he wouldn’t think about that, not while he had more important matters to be thinking about; like why the hell there was there in the first place.

So he voiced his thoughts, swallowing down his fear. “Why are we here anyway? There’s no prophecy for Hades to try and make Nico the demigod of, so—.”

Percy quickly quieted himself as he felt the blunt edge of the sword pressed more insistently into his back. “I will not have you speaking of both the Lord of the Underworld and the young lord of the Underworld with such a disrespectful tone,” the General hissed, clenching his sword tightly in his hand.

Jason pulled up short, his golden blonde brows raised skeptically. “Did you just call Nico the _lord_  of the Underworld?”

The General nodded, motioning his forward with a jerk of his chin. “I did. Even though he may merely be a demigod, he is still respected as a child of Hades”

“Time out, I know for a fact that Hades has had other children, so why is _Nico_ the 'young lord' of the Underworld.”

The General pursed his lips uncomfortably, finally lowering the sword that he had pressed into Percy’s back since they entered the Underworld. “I am not quite sure if I should be telling you this or not, but it is better that I answer your question, rather than you asking Lord Hades in Lady Persephone’s presence.”

“Okay,” Percy drawled, waiting for an answer as they leisurely made their way through the garden now, not wanting to reach the throne room before the General had an opportunity to answer his question.

“You are correct in saying that Lord Hades had multiple children, but not all of them were sired by Maria di Angelo.”

“Nico’s mother,” Jason murmured, his fingers running over the material of Nico’s aviator jacket.

“Yes, his mother,” the General nodded briefly before continuing. “She was a special woman to Lord Hades, just as I am sure your mothers were special to your fathers. But she was not as special to Lord Hades as Lady Persephone is to him, or as Hera is to Zeus, or as Amphitrite is to Poseidon.”

Percy found himself shuddering as he remembered the beautiful face of his father’s wife that was always stony and cold whenever he was in her presence. Hey, it wasn’t he fault his dad got around, much like many of the other gods, besides; he had never asked to be born. “Continue,” Jason goaded, and Percy’s noticed the pinch in his features at the mention of his own mother and Hera.

“Well, Maria was special to him, more so than any other mortal Lord Hades had been with, as you can tell be the two children that were produced between the two. For any god to have more than one child with mortal shows favoritism towards said mortal, proving that there is something beside looks that caught the god’s attention. Your mother would be able to vouch for that, son of Jupiter.”

Jason turned his head to the side slightly, shielding his features as the General continued. “Anyway, because of his favoritism towards her, despite her death, Hades has appointed Nico as prince of the Underworld. Meaning that if anything is to happen to him—which is rather unlikely—he would be next in line for the throne.”

“How come Persephone and Hades don’t have any children of their own?” Jason inquired, stealing the question right from Percy’s mouth.

The General frowned, but before he could answer, Jason spoke up, not looking at Percy when he spoke to him, but addressing him nonetheless. "They do have children together; Melinoe, a goddess who is often associated as being the bringer of nightmares and madness—" Percy shuddered, of course Hades would sire a child like that. "—then there's Zagreus, I'm still looking into him, but for right now all I know is that he's often time associated with Dionysus."

The General gave Jason and appraising look that had Percy mentally rolling his eyes. Jason, ever the teacher's pet. "You're correct son of Jupiter, but for reasons you'd have to find out on your own, Lady Persephone and Lord Hades hold Nico close to them."

“Well, you know Nico’s sister Bianca?”

Percy tensed at the name, guilt overpowering the surprise he felt at hearing that name. “Yes, I met her spirit once or twice,” the General said, surprising them both.

Jason cleared his throat before continuing. “So, if Nico is kind of the 'young lord' of the Underworld, does that make Bianca the 'young lady'?”

The General shook his head, staring ahead. “Bianca long ago tried for rebirth in order to reach the Isles of the Blest. Technically, she is no longer considered a child of Hades; that is until she completes her goal. Only then, will she be considered a child of Hades once again. And that is because her first, true spirit still lingers within her. I'm not an expert on this subject, but that would mean that—”

Percy shook his head, holding up his hands. “You’re making my head hurt Mr. General Dude, and you stopped making sense five minutes ago. I think that’s enough of Underworld 101 for today. And preferably forever.”

The General smirked, giving his head a small rueful shake as they neared the actual structure of the palace, and with a soft clicking noise, he motioned for the hellhound to make its leave once they exited the garden, the scent of the pomegranates still lingering. “Why didn’t we see the pomegranate tree?” Percy asked, watching as the hellhound trotted off before turning his attention back to the luxurious palace, its braziers burning bright, its light gleaming against the onyx and the bronze of the palace.

“We took a shortcut. I did not feel like dragging the two of you away from _the_ tree in case you would be tempted to taste the fruit,” the General ushered them up the steps of the palace, his features morphing into a well practiced mask of detachment. “From this point on, do not address me.”

That only had to mean that they were nearing the throne room.

Percy sucked in a sharp breath as they entered the room, expertly modeled after the one in Olympus minus the multiple thrones and the bright colors. Hades’ throne room was dark, but well lit by the braziers positioned around the room. Percy let out a heavy groan as he caught a glimpse of the familiar onyx throne made of bones positioned further back in the room, dead in the center, as well as the person sitting in the chair. No pun intended. “Always a pleasure to see you as well, Jackson,” Hades drawled as they stopped a considerable amount of feet before his throne, the General moving to stand close to Hades’ throne.

Promptly, Jason lowered himself to one knee, the way a good half-blood was supposed to, his head lowered respectfully. “Lord Hades.”

Hades’ dark orbs ran over him slowly, his pale hands resting on the ends of the arms of his throne. “Son of Jupiter,” he murmured, with a slight nod of his head, before he turned his attention to Percy expectantly.

With a slight smirk, Percy lifted his index and middle finger. “Yo.”

Jason turned his head in Percy’s direction sharply, a stunned expression on his sculpted features. “What the hell?” he hissed, still not moving from his position on the ground.

“What, it’s a peace sign?” Percy said loudly enough for Hades to hear. “Hey, I considered giving him the one-fingered salute, so you’d better be happy with this.”

“As eloquent as I remembered you being when I first met you, Percy Jackson.”

Percy turned at the sound of the teasing feminine voice, internally sighing as he laid eyes on Persephone settled in smaller, more humane throne next to Hades, luminous plants brightening up the dark, onyx of the throne. Percy didn’t know when she had got there, but he was glad she was there. Whenever Hades had wanted to kill him, she had always fought against her husband to keep him alive; more than likely because of his bravery, which she had complimented him on, on multiple occasions.

If only she knew how far his bravery went; Gods, he couldn’t even tell his girlfriend— _ex_ -girlfriend—that he was scared of commitment.

“Persephone,” he greeted, dipping his head briefly as they shared a short smile. She had always been one of his favorite goddesses. Well, mostly because she was one of the few who actually liked him, and didn’t want him dead.

“I’ll ignore your blatant disrespect only this once, Jackson,” Hades said, and Percy noticed his words didn’t have their usual biting edge to them.

“That’s a first,” he mumbled as Hades motioned for Jason to rise from the floor after he greeted Persephone in the same manner he had greeted the Lord of the Underworld.

Hades ignored his statement, causing the corners of Percy’s lips to tip down ever so slightly. Hades wasn’t engaging him in an argument? What was the world coming to? “Let’s get down to business,” Hades paused, a single dark brow raised as he noticed Jason staring at him with a slightly awed expression. “Problem, Mr. Grace?”

Jason snapped himself of his stupor, shaking his head rapidly before he tried for speech. “No, it’s just…you look so much like Nico.”

Percy had to agree with that statement, even going as far as to study Hades’ features. Every time he had met with Hades, excluding the very first time, he was always taken by how similar he and his son looked, the only difference between the two beings were that Nico’s features were _much_ softer than his father’s harsh ones. Thank the gods for Maria di Angelo.

“You mean he looks like _me_?” Hades corrected him, absently twirling a skull ring on his middle finger that Percy was sure he had seen before.

“It’s basically the same thing, darling. Don’t torment the demigods,” Persephone gently chastised her husband, which surprised Percy immensely.

Normally, Persephone would have scolded her husband adamantly, not softly in anyway. Something was most definitely going on here, unless Hades and Persephone had finally gone to a long overdue couple’s therapy session.

Hades ignored her, continuing to rotate that familiar ring around his finger. “Let’s get down to the business then,” and before Percy could even express his sarcastic thanks, Hades was speaking once again. “My son is missing.”

Percy dropped his nearly empty bag of M&M’s, the candies skittering across the gleaming floors much to Hades’ great irritation. But Percy didn’t care. “What the fuck do you _mean_ ‘he’s missing’?”

Hades held up his hand, halting the General from making his way down the dais to evidently reprimand Percy for the tone of voice, as well as the wording he had used, when he spoke. “Exactly what I said; my son is missing.”

“So find him!” Percy exploded, throwing his hands into the air. “And don’t you dare tell me you can’t get involved in matter like these, that you need to use demigods to do your bidding because it would screw up the balance if you got involved. I’m so sick of this shit! All of you all thinking you can use us just because you’re too lazy—!”

“Gods, would you shut up?” Jason snapped, his eyes flaring dangerously. “This is not about you, or us, or even _him_ ; this about Nico, so stop trying to make it about you, or anyone else!”

Reluctantly, Percy forced his mouth shut, but not without glaring stubbornly at Jason. “If you don’t think I’ve tried searching for my son, you’re wrong,” Hades said slowly. “I’ve searched every inch of the Underworld, every corner of the earth, and even the depths of the Tartarus that have yet to expand.”

For the first time since they had entered the throne room, Percy noticed the sheer exhaustion on Hades’ face. He probably didn’t have the energy to be as much as an asshole as he usually was. Figures. “And?” Jason asked. A hopeful gleam in his eyes.

“I’ve found nothing. It’s as if he’s simply disappeared off of the face of the earth.”

“Does that…does that mean he’s dead?” Percy asked, not even bothering to cover the tremble in his voice.

“No, it just means whoever, or whatever has him has concealed themselves against anyone who seek them out. Besides, I would sense it if he died, in here,” he motioned to his chest area. “And in here,” he said, raising his hand and motioning to the skull ring on his fingers.

“What do you mean?” Jason asked unsteadily, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he had Nico’s things clenched in his hands.

 “The skull ring he has that never leaves his finger? That is no ordinary ring. It helps me to keep track of my wayward son.”

“That’s cool and all, but how come it isn’t working now?” Percy asked, and then shook his head before anyone could answer. “Never mind, the concealment thing, I remember. So you don’t know who has him?”

“No, if I did, I would have their head,” the Lord of the Underworld snapped, and Persephone laid a soothing hand onto of his, and he slowly, but surely relaxed back into his throne.

“What can I do, Lord Hades? Tell me, and I’ll do it,” Jason said, lifting his chin a notch.

Both Persephone and Hades surveyed Jason appraisingly, though Hades more subtly. Percy could see the toll Nico’s disappearance was taking on _both_ immortals, even though Persephone wasn’t Nico’s parent by blood relation. “I know both of you have a…connection to my son. And both of you have pursued him at one point, be it platonically, romantically, or sexually, or a mix of the three.”

Percy turned to Jason; the son of Jupiter’s cheeks tinted a pink color that was gradually turning a vibrant shade of red. He didn’t have any reason to be so embarrassed unless…

“Wait, you slept with Nico? I thought you two were just friends!”

“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve had intercourse with my son,” Hades drawled pointedly, his upper lip curled with distaste, as he studied Percy critically. “And I must say, from what I’ve seen, as well as the way my son had been treated by you, that I _much_ prefer the son of Jupiter over you.”

“Yeah, yeah, everyone’s a critic,” he said scowling, while a small, delighted smile lifted the corners of Jason’s lips.

“Despite that, neither of you have proved yourself worthy enough to be with Nico,” Hades added in smoothly surveying both boys critically.

“Hades, we talked about this,” Persephone hissed, his hand tightening on top of her husband’s.

“There, there, dear. It was only be a bit of incentive for them to come back alive,” Hades said innocently, his eyes brightened, as he placed his free hand on top of his wife’s.

“Come back alive? From what?” Percy asked, his head tipping to the side and throbbing from all of the information he had just learned.

“And what _incentive_?” Jason inquired suspiciously, his golden blonde brows raised.

Hades smiled in their direction, though the action didn’t quite reach his dark colored eyes, and absently, Percy wondered that if he looked closer, if they would be the same shade of deep, dark brown as Nico’s. “You both crave some sort of attention from my son, no?”

 _Yes_ , Percy internally answered without hesitation, and he was almost positive Jason had done the same. But he was also sure they wanted two completely different types of attention from Nico, he wasn’t quite sure what Jason’s was thought he had some sort of idea, but the attention he craved from Nico was mostly platonic. He didn’t want to feel that ugly emotion of jealousy when he watched how comfortable Nico was around Jason; instead, he wanted Nico to be that comfortable around _him_. He wanted Nico to see him for Percy when he saw him, not the guy who unwittingly broke his promise and got his sister killed, or the guy who had used him for sex to keep his mind off of other things, and to escape his fear of commitment. He didn’t want to be the guy who may have broken his heart.

He wanted Nico to see him as someone he could trust, even if he didn’t deserve it at this point in time. “I’ll take your silences as affirmation,” Hades prompted, tilting his head to the side slightly. “And in order to get what you crave from him, you must have my approval.”

Percy scoffed. “We could just—.”

“No, you couldn’t, I would kill you,” Hades said without skipping a beat, as he began to twirl his ring around his middle finger once more. “Therefore, in order to have my approval, you must prove yourself. And there is only one way that you both can prove yourself to me at this point in time.”

Both Percy and Jason listened in rapt attention, though Percy could tell by the look on the blonde’s face that he was feeling rather skeptical about the whole thing. But that didn’t stop his curiosity, that’s for sure. “And that is?” Percy inquired impatiently when Hades paused for a long, dramatic stretch of silence.

“Go out, and find my son. Bring him back to me and one piece, and prove yourself worthy along the way, and you have my blessing. This quest isn’t optional if you were wondering, you—either of you, I truly will not be bogged down if one of you dies along the way—will bring Nico back to, without a scratch, if it’s the last thing you do. If you fail me, I’ll make sure you pay for it in the afterlife, is that clear?”

Both half-bloods nodded their head vigorously. Percy wouldn’t only do this so that Hades would approve of his friendship with his son, but so that he could prove to Nico that he truly cared about him, that he was more than just as… _fuck_ as he had so crudely suggested. Hades blessing was a mere bonus that he would have probably been more grateful for if he was choosing to pursue Nico romantically. But there was only one immortal’s blessing he wanted.

And considering the fact that Athena detested him already, he was almost positive he had lost her trust by doing what he had done to her daughter.

But that was a concern for another day. Unless Athena was the one who had taken Nico. Suddenly, it dawned on him. Once, Athena was considered to have no motive for kidnapping the other demigods, but now that Nico had been kidnapped, the stakes had changed, and Percy was willing to bet if Athena _was_ the one who had taken Nico, that it was to avenge Annabeth and her pride.

But Percy swallowed that suggestion as soon as he had been about to say it. He didn’t need Hades to know _all_ of his and Nico’s business, nor did want to wrongly accuse Athena, not matter how much she disliked him.

Percy snapped from his thoughts as he heard Persephone give a sound akin to a growl, snatching her hand from beneath Hades’ with a scowl. “You would give our son away as a…consolation prize?!”

Our. She just said _our_ son. Nico was one lucky bastard.

“I would merely be giving them my blessing to have any sort of acquaintance with Nico, that’s all, dear,” Hades responded, staring down at the skull ring on his finger, a frown creasing his brow.

Persephone turned to the both demigods, her features hardened by her anger. “If both of you are only in this for the _incentive_ , don’t bother looking for him.”

Before Percy could make any type of objection, Jason was speaking. “I don’t _care_ about the incentive; all I care about is finding Nico bringing him home. I…I have to…gods, it’s my fault that he…”

Jason trailed off, swallowing thickly as Hades straightened in his throne, and beside him, Persephone’s features softened. “I just have to find him,” Jason said roughly, looking both in immortals in the eyes as he straightened, drawing attention to the items clutched against his chest.

All at once, Percy watched as Hades’ shoulders deflated, his eyes glued to the aviator jacket slung over Jason’s forearm, the brightness in his eyes dulling as Persephone sucked in a sharp, slapping her hand over her mouth as she blinked rapidly, turning her attention to an unknown point. Hades cleared his throat, straightening himself as much as he could in his throne. “Find my—.”

“Our,” Persephone interjected softly, still staring distantly at some point within the room.

“Our. Find our son,” Hades corrected himself, staring down at both half-bloods expectantly.

“We will,” Percy stated confidently as Hades motioned to the General, who stepped down the dais to stand before them.

“Then you can be on your way, the General will take you back to the surface,” Hades said, giving the aviator jacket clutched in Jason’s arms a long look before he turned away.

“I’ll find him Lord Hades, I swear on the River Styx,” Jason added strongly, his head held high.

Hades turned back to him, looking rather skeptical at Jason’s declaration, but he nodded nonetheless. Percy felt a small twinge of irritation though at the son of Jupiter’s self-assured statement, but he shoved the emotion down before it could show on his face, or bring him down any further. This wasn’t about him, it was about finding Nico. They _had_ to find Nico, just as Hades had said, it wasn’t optional. Percy wasn’t doing this to prove himself to Hades, or because the Lord of the Underworld had said that they were required to do this, but he was doing it because he wanted Nico to be found, safe, healthy, and unscathed.

And if he could prove himself to the son of Hades along the way, as well as his father, that would just be a small bonus. He owed it to Nico.

As the General led them out of the throne room, Percy snuck one last look over his shoulder, just in time to see Hades reach out a grasp Persephone’s hand tightly in his and the two immortal’s watched them go.

And as Percy turned back, his clenched his fists by his side, steeling his resolve.

They _would_ find Nico. If it was the last thing they ever did.

** Nico’s POV **

Nico stared up at the bright blue sky, a considerable contrast to the seemingly, never-ending darkness of the Underworld. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was being taken, but he did know that he and Lady Goddess had been walking for quite some time, nonstop as the ache in his feet, the droopiness of his eyes, and the rumbling in his stomach so graciously pointed out. “How much longer, Lady Goddess?” he asked softly, not wanting to evoke irritation from the goddess with his question.

“Just a little longer, my dear. And then, we may stop and make camp. I must prepare you before I take my leave.”

Nico jolted at that, his eyes widening considerably as he clutched the ends of the much too big, deep purple shirt he was wearing. “You…you’re leaving me?” he inquired, attempting to keep the nervous squeak out of his voice.

What would he do without his Lady Goddess? He owed her everything for saving him from the inky abyss of nothingness that his mind had become after drinking from the River Lethe. He owed her for not letting harm come his way when he was unable to protect himself. And he especially owed her for her helping him to remember his hatred of Percy.

Gods, the simple name left a bitter taste in the back of his throat, and that irritated him to no end. Never again would someone hurt him the way Percy had, or use him, and toss him aside when he was done. No, Percy would _never_ be able to hurt someone the way he had hurt him, because he would kill him, and do the world justice by riding them of such a selfish pig.

But for now, he had other matters to be concerned with; Lady Goddess was planning on leaving him, and he had to find a way to get her to stay. “Did I do something wrong to make you want to leave?” he asked desperately, pulling up in front of the Lady and causing her to cease his movement as he bowed his head, his clasped hands pressed to his chest. “Please forgive me.”

Lady Goddess blinked; confusion evident on her nearly flawless features as she studied him. And gradually, her features softened, a gentle smile lifting the corners of his lips as she reached out, caressing his face in a barely there motion. “Now, now, Nico. You have done nothing wrong. It is just that I cannot interfere when it is time for you to kill the son of Poseidon. So I must train you to do this on your own.”

“I know how to kill,” Nico responded, his face heating as he realized his hands were still pressed against his chest, and he dropped them quickly, his arms handing at his sides stiffly. “Why can’t you just—.”

“Hush, hush, now,” Lady Goddess murmured, motioning for him to take his previous spot beside her as she prepared to continue forward. “I am aware that you know how to kill, and that you have superior powers for a demigod. But.”

She paused, and Nico looked at her imploringly, his head slightly tipped to the side with puzzlement, causing raven colored strands of hairs to fall into his line of vision. “Physical strength alone will not help you to defeat Percy Jackson; he is a considerable foe. You must learn to use your mind as well as your strength.”

“My mind,” Nico stated skeptically his dark brows rose in a dubious gesture.

“Yes, your mind. How can you expect to kill Percy if he is already aware of your intentions? You must catch him when he is unaware of what it is you plan to do.”

“So…like a sneak attack?”

Lady Goddess’s lips quirked up at the corners, and Nico shuddered at the venomous smile on her shapely lips. “Yes, in a way. But a sneak attack of the mind. You must deceive him; make him play straight into your hand.”

Nico sighed, his arms hanging limply at his sides. All he wanted to do was kill Percy; he didn’t think it would take so many steps to do so. Couldn’t he just go to Camp Half-Blood, stab the older demigod and get it over with? Instead of voicing his thoughts, he nodded, although quite reluctantly. “How would I deceive him?”

“First and foremost, you must come to understand your enemy, their strengths, their weaknesses, their levels of intelligence. You must _never_ underestimate them; underestimation will lead to failure, and we do not have time for that, Nico.”

He was quick to agree, his head bobbing up and down quickly. “Of course not.”

“If anything, you must overestimate your foe. It is always better to be over prepared than to under prepared. You must also play into his idea of you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he questioned, his nose scrunching as he caught the smell of something sweet in the distance. His was hungry as hell, and if Lady Goddess didn’t get him something to eat soon, he was afraid he just might start munching away at her arm.

“If he thinks you to be sweet, you must be sweet. If he thinks you to be…flirtatious, you must act as such, no matter how much you may want to; you can _never_ break character, Nico, never.”

His stomach twisted into knots at the thought of being anything but cold and dismissive to the son of Poseidon. Percy didn’t even deserve an act, he deserved as much negativity as possible, and he deserved to be _killed_. And Nico would see that through, no matter whom, or what tried to get in his way.

Nico winced inconspicuously, his hands reaching up and sifting through his thick, dark locks in favor of clutching his forehead as Lady Goddess continued to speak idly, digressing from the topic of Percy altogether after he grew silent on the matter. He had yet to tell Lady Goddess of the images plaguing his mind whenever he ever his thoughts simply drifted to killing Percy. Merely thinking of the son of Poseidon brought forth images of the bluest eyes he had ever seen in his life. The images of those eyes took his breath away, and caused a strange tugging sensation to commence in his stomach.

He knew he should have told Lady Goddess about the eyes, but something in him told him to stay quiet about it. And not only that, but he didn’t want the images of the eyes to be taken away. Despite how the images troubled him, evoking confusion and various other emotions, the image of those eyes also offered him comfort. Nico knew how strange that was, that a set of vibrant blue orbs that he didn’t recognize soothed his racing pulse whenever he thought about what it may have been like to wander throughout the Underworld without his memories.

At first, he had thought they were the eyes of Lady Goddess, and after they had left the Underworld, he had strained to take a look at her eyes, only to be troubled to find that they were the brilliant shade of blue that _those_ eyes were. He knew for a fact that they weren’t Percy’s because Percy’s eyes were a lovely shade of sea green, though he grudgingly admitted that much. They didn’t belong to anyone else he could think of, not his sister Bianca’s, because her eyes had been the same shade of dark brown as his own. They weren’t Hazel’s because Hazel had molten gold colored eyes. They weren’t anyone’s that he could think of, so who the hell did they belong to?

“Nico, are you listening to me?”

Nico was jolted from his thoughts as Lady Goddess drew to a stop in front of him, her dark brows arched expectantly. “Ah, no, I’m sorry. I…I got a little bit distracted.”

“It is imperative that you pay attention to the words that I am speaking, do you understand?”

He nodded slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he studied the ground below his feet. He didn’t want to disappoint Lady Goddess; he wanted to make her proud. That was another one of the reasons that he had to kill Percy, besides his hatred towards the son of Poseidon, he knew that the older teen’s death would make Lady Goddess happy. And if Lady Goddess was happy, he was happy to.

“I understand,” he replied, lifting his gaze from the ground determinedly. “What were you saying, Lady Goddess?”

The Lady studied him for a moment more, before she dipped her head slightly, a few strands of her hair that had escaped her neat bun at the side and framed her beautiful face, flowed with the movement. “Alright then. I was saying that we were nearing our destination.”

Nico perked at that, his hands fidgeting within the confines of his pockets, as he stomach rumbled excitedly at the possibility of a nice, hot meal. “And where would that be, Lady Goddess?”

“Las Vegas,” she declared, a smirk lifting the corners of her lips as Nico stared at her, confusion evident on his handsome features.

“Las Vegas…?” he repeated slowly. “You mean the places with all the casinos, and gamblers and ‘whatever happens in Vega stays in Vegas’? _That_ Vegas?”

“Do you know of any other Las Vegas, Nico?” the goddess smiled, amusement brewing in her orbs as Nico’s mouth worked silently for a few seconds.

“We… _no_ , but why Vegas?”

Lady Goddess straightened herself, her chin lifting a notched as she waved her hand in Nico’s direction, and the demigod looked down at his clothing to see that it had changed to something neater; casual yet suave at the same time. But he felts a strange sense of panic overtake him as he realized the deep purple shirt he had been donning was gone, but soon enough, he let out a short, relieved breath as he looked at Lady Goddess, watching her carefully tuck his previous clothing away into the black bag she had conjured for herself.

Nico didn’t understand his strange attachment to purple t-shirt, with “Camp Jupiter” sprawled across the front. At first, he had thought it was because it was a part of the outfit he had been wearing when he had come to from drinking the waters of the River Lethe, but soon afterwards, he realized that was not the case. When Lady Goddess had first insisted that he changed his clothing after they came from the Underworld, Nico outright refused, much to Lady Goddess’s astonishment. Apparently, she had thought that he would be happy with a cleaner, more comfortable set of clothing, seeing as the weather was rather hot, but Nico adamantly denied that despite the fact that he was sweating profusely. After a moment, Lady Goddess had dropped the topic, though she had studied him from the corner of her eye when she he thought Nico wasn’t looking, taking in the way he clutched the hemline of his t-shirt.

Nico’s thoughts were drawn from the earlier occurrences when a flash of movement caught his eye. The Lady had changed her clothing as well. Instead of the Greek, sleeveless chiton she had once donned beneath her regal armor, she was dressing in a simple, yet beautiful, black, sleeveless, high-low dress, making her look just as regal without the armor as she positioned her bag in the crook of her arm, her golden earrings glinting in the light.

“If you must learn the art of deception, Vegas is the place to do so,” she stated smiling in his direction, holding out her hand.

Nico couldn’t help but agree with her, and he was fine with going as long as they didn’t plan to make a pit stop at the Lotus Hotel & Casino. The mere thought made him shudder, as he hesitantly placed his hand in Lady Goddess’s.

And as his surroundings faded around him, he strained to see the insides of her purse, just to make sure that deep purple t-shirt was truly within its confinements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeeeeell. I'm off to go take a nap.  
> Chapter 26 won't write itself. [ x  
> Tell me what you think about this chapter. Love it, hate it, feel iffy about it, let me know!  
> I feel like I'm selling something to you all right now, I dunno, or maybe that's just the sleep talking.  
> Bleh, toodles to you all, and thanks for reading. <3 [ :


	26. And There's No Remedy for Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They were there, waiting for him as if they had never left in the first place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS AND GALS, HI IT'S ME, AND I AM VERY MUCH ALIVE, MUCH TO SOME OF YOU ALL'S SURPRISE SINCE I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH, WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR ME. AND WOW I AM REALLY DIGGING CAPS LOCK RIGHT NOW, SO, I'LL TRY AND TONE IT DOWN.  
> First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for the extra, extra long wait in between Chapter 25 and Chapter 26. Between school, end of course exams, personal issues, and spraining my wrist (which was just the cherry on my crap sundae), I haven't quite had the time to sit down and write like I've wanted to. And I assure you, I have been writing. This Chapter 26 that's being posted right now, is not my first version of the chapter, I can assure you that much. I had much longer chapters written out, and ready to be posted, until I realized they were complete and utter shit, and I'd be a terrible person for letting you all wait that long for a simply shitty chapter.  
> Soo, I took more time to write, and I'm rather pleased with the outcome of this chapter. This chapter ended up much shorter than I wanted it to be, even though it's 10k + words, but I found that some of the stuff that might have been in this chapter was just too much for one sitting, and therefore, it will be going into the next chapter.  
> I can't say for sure how soon Chapter 27 will be out, seeing as I have exams to study for, but just rest assured by the fact that I'll be done with school until the fall on the 20-somethingth.  
> Please keep in mind that the long wait between chapter does not mean I'll be abandoning this story, I've said it multiple times, but it seems like I have to say it again: this story is seriously the first story I have ever been dedicated to, and I would never give it up. As much as I would like to, I can't sit around and write all day everyday, I have a life I have to attend to, so that means that updates might not come as quickly as you all would like. But keeps in mind that I will be working as hard as I can to get chapters out in an orderly manner.  
> And I'd just like to thank you all for the support that I've gotten in the comments, it truly means a lot to know that they're are people out there that care for me. [ :  
> And thank you to those who continued to leave kudos, comments, bookmarks, subscriptions, and to simply read the story even though it hadn't been updated in quite sometime. [ :  
> Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! [ ;  
> As you all know (because I literally wear this saying out) praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and criticism is welcomed. E n j o y. [ ;  
> *Thank you to my oh-so wonderful beta, who in between her own life, still gets my story beta-d and ready for you all. [ :*  
> *This chapter title is a lyric from Lana Del Rey's "Dark Paradise", I do not own the song, nor the lyrics I used, so all rights to her, for singing, and writing this wonderful song.*

** Nico’s POV **

_The touches burned his skin pleasurably, those devious fingertips trailing over his exposed collarbone ever so lightly, and he found himself arching into the blazing touch of those hands for more, the skin callous from years of sword training and battle. But the roughness of those hands only added to the sensation he felt as those fingertips continued their perilous trail over his collarbone, taking a detour to slide down to his pectorals. Nico found himself gasping, his dark colored lashes fluttering momentarily as heated traces skimmed over the flushed skin of his chest, a neatly trimmed fingernail catching the nub of his nipple lightly before the trace skittered away. He tossed his head to the side, the sound of his next intake of breath barely concealed within the depths of the pillow his head was rested on. His locks tickled the skin of his cheeks and his face as he arched his back off of the bed, one his lightly brown-dusted nubs was flicked, and his breath caught in throat as he was pushed back down to the bed firmly, immediately covered by the body those hands belonged to._

_He hurt; he_ ached _, to be touched anywhere by those hands. He wanted—no, began to ­_ crave— _those touches that set his skin aflame, and stole sounds from his throat he had never thought he was capable of making. The touches made his eyes roll to the back of his head, no matter how simple they were. Warm breath caused goosebumps to rise along his overheated skin, as words were whispered in his ear, and he shuddered, not at the words the person was saying, but at their voice, deep and husky. Playful yet serious. Adoring yet commanding. He found himself whimpering softly as he pressed his considerably smaller form up into the warm one above him, his legs quivering as he tried to find the strength to wrap them around the torso hovering a mere few inches above him. But as those calloused hands slid down to his waist, he found himself unable to complete the seemingly simple action, the extremity of the touches rendering him nearly paralyzed. For a moment, he found himself panicked by the notion of being unable to move beneath a person he didn’t know, and his whimpers of desperation changed of ones to fright._

_His fearful sounds were cut off as the person the person lowered their much broader form to his, their hands moving from where they had been positioned on his waist to his thighs, and from there his legs were repositioned until they were loosely wrapped around the torso he had been so desperate to put them around mere seconds before. The voice hushed him softly, soothingly despite the fact that his sounds had been quieted a few moments before. Nico relaxed as warm lips pressed a soft kiss to the nape of his neck before moving upward until they hovered over his ear._

_“I’ve got you.”_

_Nico felt a small, pleasurable sensation begin to build more in his lower belly at the sound of that voice so close to him, saying the words they were saying. He opened his mouth to respond only to find that his voice didn’t work, except for the small task of making incoherent sounds. “Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, just ask me.”_

_Oh_ gods _. There were a million things Nico wanted to ask for, but alas, his voice wouldn’t work, much to his frustration. So he simply lay there compliantly as those plump lips skimmed down from his ear, and over his jaw line until they were hovering over his lips, brushing against his as the voice rang in his ears once again with an air of playfulness in them this time. “Ask me…?”_

_And then those lips pressed against his. And the sensation was more than what he could ever ask for._

_Their lips slotted together like missing links of a puzzle piece, and despite the desperation for_ more _that Nico felt building in his stomach, he kissed back slowly, his lips tingling in a way that was surprisingly pleasing. Slowly, the numbness in his limbs began to subside, and his legs tightened around the person’s torso, their lower bodies pressing together in a way that mad Nico moan against those lips, causing the person to take advantage of his open mouth and slip their tongue carefully, as if waiting for him to object. Nico welcomed the kiss, welcomed the barrage of sensations this unknown person caused him. And absently, he found himself wondering who this person was. He found himself wondering why their fingers not only skimmed over his skin so surely, as if they knew him and his form, but reverently, as if he were an item to be adored. He wanted to know why this person continued to assuage him words of comfort when they could have merely taken him while he was paralyzed by the sensation of their touches. Why they seemed tailored to make sure his every need was met before even searching for their own release._

_In that moment, a sense of urgency took over their kiss; a sudden change from the previous soft, and sweet, to hungry and desperate. Nico reached up, his hands clasping the firm muscle of the person’s biceps as he gave his hips a small, cursory roll. The person made a soft noise of pleasure that harmonized with his own soft whimper that had Nico’s insides turning to liquid and a new desperation overtook him as he rolled his hips once more, desperate to hear yet another one of those sounds that made heat pulse over his feverish form. Their tongues danced together frantically, the heels of Nico’s feet pressing into the back of the person’s thighs to speed up the roll of their hips against his._

_Then suddenly, without warning, everything stopped._

_The once rolling hips against his stopped, as well as the mouth moving against his. And as the kiss was broken, Nico found himself making a soft sound of disappointment, his chest heaving with the force of his heavy breaths. “Nico…”_

_Nico’s brows furrowed in confusion at the sorrow that plagued that voice, the one that had previously been whispering sweet nothings into his ear simple moments ago. Those rough hands that had been clasping his thighs disappeared before he felt the touch of trembling fingers against his cheeks. “Come back to me, Nico.”_

_The voice broke with emotion midsentence, and Nico’s lashes fluttered with the intention of opening his eyes to gaze upon the one who caused such fiery sensations to haze him mind, to numb his body, and close up his throat, rendering him unable to so much as utter a simple word. “Please…”_

_His eyes snapped open, and he found himself unable to breathe as he gazed into the most beautiful pair of azure orbs he had ever seen in his life. But they were familiar somehow, and as the voice spoke once more, it hit him._

_“Just come back to me…”_

_Those eyes, the same pair of eyes that his mind had yet to match with facial features, the very pair that had plagued his mind day and night were before him, full of so much despair that Nico felt tears springing unwittingly to his own eyes._

_Then, everything began to fade, along with scene around them, as well as the hot feel of those touches against his skin. Desperately, his eyes ran over the face that belonged to those eyes, but he found that it was too late. The features had already faded to a point where they were simply as unrecognizable as the background. And before long, those eyes were the only thing that shone radiantly. Those damned eyes that belonged to the person who had wrought him with such pleasure, and comfort. He needed to know who those eyes belonged to. But while the numbness had long faded from his limbs, making him able to move, his voice still wouldn’t work._

_Desperately, he made a frantic sound in the back of his throat as he reached out to clasp the face which the eyes belonged to, to stop it from fading further. But where his hands should have made contact with skin, he was met with a shock similar to electricity that traveled up his arms, and he cried out in shock, pulling his limbs away jerkily. It wasn’t that the shock of electricity that hurt him necessarily, but that the sensation traveled up his arms, and into his head, attempting to call forth images that simply were not there._

_He reached out once more, urgently needed to feel the person’s skin against his once more before the figure faded out completely. “Don’t leave me!” he cried out frantically, his voice coming out much more raw and needy than he would ever be proud to admit as his throat finally gave way and allowed him to speak._

_“I would never leave you, but I need you to come back to me, Nico, come back…”_

~*~

Nico jolted upward, his eyes wide and his heart racing in his chest as labored breaths tore from his throat, the sounds of his breathing audible in the dimness of the room around him as he propped himself up on his elbows. He frantically tore the covers from his small form, surveying his body, still dressed in the outfit Lady Goddess had conjured for him. But clothes weren’t what he was searching for.

He was searching for any other evidence than the sensations that were still buzzing through his mind, leftover from whoever had touched him so surely and sensually. His skin still burned with the memory of those devious touches against his skin, his lips pulsing, and when he ran his fingers over them, he could have sworn they felt slightly swollen and moist to the touch. His ears buzzed, as if his own hearing was searching for the sound of that voice that had caused shivers to wrack his frame. And when he closed his eyes…oh gods.

They were _there_ , waiting for him as if they had never left in the first place.

Those eyes. Those mother fucking eyes that refused to leave his mind no matter how much and how many times he had tried to will the image of them away. Nico pulled his quivering legs to his chest, absently biting down on his lower lip as he forced his eyes open to absently survey his rather posh room in the suite he and Lady Goddess shared. Yes, those eyes plagued his every waking moment, and yes, he had dreamt about those eyes night after night ever since he had been taken under his goddess’s wing as well as when he laid down for a simple nap. But never before had he dreamt of, or up, the owner of those eyes.

And that scared the shit out of him.

The fact that he had been so comfortable with the owner of those eyes, had let his _guard_ down, and had barely panicked when he found himself immobile beneath their body. It worried him that even now, he trusted every word the owner of those eyes had spoken, despite the fact that he couldn’t quite remember everything them— _he_ —had said. It scared him that he trusted the owner of those eyes so fiercely despite knowing their name, or even what they looked like. Before he had seen them, he had briefly considered that the person he was allowing to touch him so freely was Percy.

But as he was dreaming, and even now, he felt foolish and slightly angered to even think such a thing. He _hated_ Percy, so why would he ever dream of him in such a way? He had found himself to be more than a little relieved when he opened eyes to see the sparkling blue ones instead of sea green ones above him.

And that was not okay in the slightest.

Nor was the fact that they were filled with such sorrow that even the memory caused a pang of sadness to make his chest ache. Nico winced, his lashes fluttering indecisively for a moment before he gave into his desires and allowed his eyes to fall shut against the room, his arms tightening around his legs, and a shiver shaking his frame as an image of the same eyes surged to the forefront of his mind. Along with the images, came sensation, stronger than the leftover tingles of heat that ran over his skin. The fiery sensation increased, and Nico found himself barely withholding an admittedly neglected, but equally puzzled whine. He wanted the hands back, wanted the owner of the azure orbs despite the fact that he hadn’t the slightest idea who the person was. He wanted the same scalding sensations back, not just the ghost of the sensations, he wanted to feel the calloused hands against his skin, wanted the moist, heated lips back against his, and he wanted the weight of that person’s body against his. And more than anything, he wanted to know what it was that had caused such pain in those eyes.

Nico cracked his eyes open, the image of those eyes still blazing in the back of his mind, waiting for him to close his eyes once more so that they could surge back to the forefront of his mind. He nibbled on his lower lip, barely flinching as his canine tore some of the skin there, the faint taste of his metallic blood still not overpowering the taste he remembered from locking lips with the mysterious figure with the beautiful blue eyes - eyes so full of sorrow. He shouldn’t have cared about the emotion in them. After all, they were simply a figment of his imagination. An image that he wasn’t particularly _opposed_ to continue imagining.

Those eyes kept his mind clear when he felt as if he were falling too heavily under Lady Goddess’s influence to the point where he sometimes found himself doing her biding without question, or resistance. Sometimes, Lady Goddess didn’t even seem to realize that she was in fact influencing him with some kind of magic that he had yet to look into. Other times, when he was being particularly stubborn, she knew exactly what she was doing, though her eyes shone with guilt, and she was never quite able look at him directly until hours later. Lady Goddess confused him, but at the same time he adored her, knowing that she simply had his best interest at heart.

She was in fact helping him to kill Percy after all, and had even saved him from the inky abyss of nothingness that awaited him after he had drunk from the River Lethe.

But still, sometimes he wondered what her vendetta was against the son of Poseidon. Why was it that she was so insistent in Nico’s task to kill him? And other times, he wondered where it was she disappeared off to for long hours after she had believed he had fallen asleep. Every time she returned from her trips to gods know where, she looked stronger and healthier than before, a bizarre smile always gracing her features as her eyes shone with something that Nico couldn’t quite place. But he just knew it wasn’t good.

Despite the fact that he simply _knew_ that Lady Goddess would never hurt him, he found himself worrying over the strange look in her eyes that only seemed to grown stronger with each day that passed. She had become more confident in herself, Nico could see that in the way she walked, talked, or simply presented herself. Along with that, she had become much more… _volatile_ ; her temper flaring more often than usual and for some of the silliest reasons. He would never admit it to her, but he truly worried for her.

And that was another reason why he would never _ever_ tell Lady Goddess about the image of the eyes that were plaguing his mind. He knew that by keeping them a secret from her, he was possibly putting himself in the path of her anger. Earlier, when he had complained and objected to her attempting to dispose of the deep purple Camp Jupiter shirt, she had sat him down and drilled him on everything and everyone he knew.

Never once had she brought up a name that brought forth the image of Nico’s mysterious figure.

And he knew then, that he wasn’t supposed to have the image of those eyes in his mind. But that didn’t mean he wanted Lady Goddess to take it away, the only thing he had to himself besides the shirt that the goddess had reluctantly allowed him to keep.

But the question that constantly remained in the back of his mind was _why_ were the eyes so full of sorrow this time he saw them. He had seen the eyes full of joy, anger, playfulness, pleasure, amusement, and so on, but he had never seen then full of such sorrow. And did that _voice_ really belong to those eyes?

Nico found himself shivering in remembrance of that husky voice, rough with pleasure and wicked intent that he found himself rather fond of. He skin heated with a new flame that made his mouth dry and his head spin hazily, and his bit down a tad bit harder on his lower lip to shake himself of the dizzying sensations.

He had so many questions that may never be answered. Who was the enigmatic figure? Why were the eyes so significant to him? Why couldn’t he remember the figure, who he now knew was a he? Why were the eyes so full of despair? And lastly, why did he keep asking for Nico to come back to him when he had been lying right there beneath him?

Nico shook his head to free himself of the troubling thoughts. Nothing good could possibly come from these thoughts. They merely served as a distraction that he couldn’t afford to have at the moment. He needed to focus on the task at hand; killing Percy. And he couldn’t let anything get in his way.

As that thought finished up in his mind, Nico distantly heard a door open before the telltale clack of heels sounded faintly from somewhere in the suite. Anxiously he repositioned himself back beneath the covers, squeezing his eyes shut in order to play asleep as the sound of those click-clacking heels grew closer. The sound of heels paused for a moment as the stopped before the door to his room for the time being, and before long, the door was opened dramatically, bright light bathing the lush room and making him groan with mock sleepiness as he rolled onto his stomach to shield his eyes from the blinding light. “Rise and shine half-blood!” Lady Goddess sang with a delighted trill in her dulcet voice. “We have things to do, and little time to do them!”

Nico cracked his eyes open, resisting the urge to let them fly open to see the expression on Lady Goddess’s face today. Slowly, he rose up on his elbows, drearily rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands before he gazed sleepily at the goddess, squinting through the harsh light of the room. He barely stopped himself from tensing at what he saw.

The goddess’s skin was glowing healthily, her eyes shining so brightly and glassily, Nico would have believed she were drunk if he didn’t know better, lastly, an unnervingly, wide smile that had him twitching uncomfortably beneath the blankets, was plastered on her glossed lips. “Lady Goddess, where—?”

“Making sure everything for our suite was good,” she answered automatically, if not rather impatiently. “Now up with you, we have to get going…!”

Her voice trailed over as she stared at him, her smile slipping as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Nico felt his heart began to beat faster in his chest as the goddess’s lips thinned. Mentally, he hoped to any of the gods that were listening that this would not be a moment where her mood shifted rapidly to a whole other extreme like it had seemed to be doing lately.

His fears were soon assuaged as Lady Goddess approached him, attempting to smooth out the wrinkles in his dress shirt. “Truly, Nico, you could have at _least_ bothered to undress before you fell asleep. Now your clothing is a wrinkled mess!”

Gently, she tugged him from bed, waving her hand over his small form, and Nico looked down, watching as the wrinkles in his clothing disappeared, leaving them as pristine as before. “There, now be more considerate of the nice things I give to you next time, do you understand?”

“Yes, Lady Goddess, I’m sorry,” Nico responded, looking down rather sheepishly.

Lady Goddess watched him for another moment more before she reached out to give his cheek as small pat, soon after whirling around and sashaying towards the open door. “Good, now come along! And Nico? Do stop gnawing on your bottom lip, chapped lips are rather unattractive, my dear.”

Nico remained where he stood, not out of stubbornness, but out of sheer surprise as Lady Goddess exited his room, the sound of clacking heels growing distant as he remained frozen where he stood. His jaw had absently dropped open, and he wasn’t even sure that he had the means to close it right now, despite how ridiculous he may have looked. None of that mattered, because he was right in assuming that something was changing within Lady Goddess. That moment, a mere few seconds ago when she had patted his cheek briefly, Nico had _felt_ the power that was thrumming within her seeking release. The sheer amount of that power had left him breathless from a simple pat on his cheek that hadn’t even lingered.

He wasn’t quite sure where she was getting the power, or _how_ , but he did know that it was bad news, despite how much he wanted to believe otherwise.

“Nico, I do not have all day,” Lady Goddess sang impatiently from the living area of their hotel suite, and Nico had to close his eyes against the influencing properties of her voice.

And one again, those gleaming eyes rushed to the forefront of his mind along with the memory of that husky voice, rough with emotion.

_“Come back to me, Nico.”_

** Jason’s POV **

_Jason shuddered as another one of those soft, needy whines spilled from the younger demigod’s lips, and he felt that rather small body arch into his touch as his fingertips traced over the line of a currently bare, alabaster collarbone. With a confidence that was rather uncanny, Jason trailed his fingertips from the teen’s collarbone and to his pecs, relishing in the soft moan that reverberated in his ears, setting the blood running through his veins aflame with passion and with pleasure._

_The teen’s bare body was laid out before him, so open and ready, as if welcoming Jason, his very sounds and panting breaths only solidifying that thought. The boy’s eyes were squeezed shut against the world, as if he couldn’t handle the amount of bliss that was being wrought upon his body, his dark lashes swept down and barely tickling his cheeks bones as they fluttered with every sharp intake of breath he took. Jason absently ran his finger across the boy’s lightly brown-dusted nub, a smile with a hint of smugness tweaking the corners of his lips as the teen gasped, arching into his touch as he frame trembled. Jason’s tongue swept out over his dry lips at the seductive sight, and he watched as the boy tossed his head to the side, a muffled sound escaping the confines as those wickedly dark locks were splayed across flushed cheeks._

_In the back of his mind, Jason found that he wasn’t scared, he wasn’t even nervous despite the fact that he knew it was his first time. And gods on Olympus, he had no qualms about having his first time with_ him _._

_With a barely concealed smirk and with that strange surety that he liked rather well pushing him, his reached out, flicking the brown-dusted nub. The teen’s reaction was instantaneous. He arched off the bed as Jason heard his breath catch in his throat, his breath stuttering out shortly thereafter as the blonde reached out, pushing the boy’s small frame back down to the bedding, the sheets bunched beneath his overheated form._

_Jason offered a small smile despite the fact that the boy’s eyes were still clenched shut before he leaned down, his lips moving and forming words that were lost on his own ears, but he didn’t care what he was saying, as long it got a reaction from the boy beneath him. He wasn’t quite sure why he sought this faintly familiar boy’s approval. But he didn’t really question his own motives; he just knew that he wanted to please him, and to ultimately get him to open his eyes. If the boy opened his eyes, Jason was sure to know who it was beneath him._

_Jason pulled back slightly, watching as those dark lashes fluttered, and hope swelled in his chest, almost as strong as the pleasure he was feeling at the moment. But alas, the fluttering lashes didn’t give way to moving lids, or the eyes he was slightly desperate to see. Well, that just meant he would have to try harder, which he wasn’t very opposed to._

_He slid his hands down to the boy’s waist, feeling his muscles tense as if ready for movement, and Jason found himself slightly puzzled as no movement came. Jason’s brows furrowed as the instead of a pleasured sounds spilling from those lips, a one of distress came instead. And he knew if those lids slid open, he would see panic brewing in the eyes of the boy beneath him._

_Carefully, so as not to spook the boy, Jason lowered his much larger form to his, relief flooding his veins as those distressed sounds were cut off. Still, he found himself shushing the boy after he wrapped those pale legs around his torso, his hands gripping the overheated flesh as the teen began to un-tense. A fleeting smile crossed his lips as the boy relaxed, and on impulse, Jason leaned down, pressing his lips to the alabaster expanse of skin on the teen’s neck, the boy relaxing completely beneath him as he moved his lips from the boy’s neck, until his lips hovered over his ear._

_“I’ve got you.”_

_His mind and mouth seemed to be in some sort of conspiracy, forming words that Jason himself hadn’t quite consented to. But strangely enough, he knew that he meant the words that he was speaking softly into the boy’s ear. Faintly, he felt a puff of warm breath against his skin, and he turned ever so slightly to see the boy’s mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Jason’s eyes trailed over those moist lips, slightly red from the way the boy continued to worry his lower lip between his teeth. And gods, Jason was sure he had never wanted to have something so badly in his life; to keep selfishly taking, over and over again until there was no more to have. But he wanted to please this boy first._

_“Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, just ask me.”_

_Oh_ gods _. There were a million things Jason wanted the boy to ask for, but alas, his voice seemed to be halted by the onslaught of sensation he was feeling, if the trembling in his small frame was anything to go by. But Jason didn’t mind that too much. That just meant he could decide for the both of them. His eyes landed back on those lips._

 _And he knew_ exactly _what it was he wanted._

 _He trailed his lips down from the boy’s ear and over his jaw line until they were hovering over his lips, brushing against_ those _lips, and Jason was tempted, barely withholding himself from taking as he tried once more. “Ask me…”_

_When the boy didn’t respond verbally, a mere breath of a moan reaching the son of Jupiter’s ears, Jason had all he could take, and he leaned down, pressing his lips to the boy’s._

_He felt as if he were exploding, yet imploding at the same time, which were never two actions he would have ever thought in a million years he would associating with such bliss. His lips burned more fiercely than his skin, alive with the heat of the passion in their kiss, tingles dancing across his skin, making his hands tighten on the boy’s milky colored thighs. Everything around him ceased to exist, except for the boy lying acquiescently, though far from submissively. He didn’t simply lay still beneath Jason, shyly returning the kiss with hesitant touches—no, he returned_ everything _Jason dished out with equal, if not more, vigor. Rapidly, he began to come alive beneath Jason, his comparably smaller hands reaching up and grasping Jason’s biceps, his thighs clenching with need, and hips—oh gods, his_ hips _—giving a cursory roll against the blonde’s and he let out a surprised whimper simultaneous to the blonde’s soft sound of bliss, as if he was naïve enough to not realize that he could derive pleasure from a simple buck of his hips._

 _But faintly, as the kiss took on a sudden sense of urgency, their tongues tangling and battling for leeway, Jason realized that wasn’t the case. This person_ knew _what they were doing, knew what they wanted, and how they wanted it, if the press of heels into his backside was anything to go by. The person had a surety in their movements that should have intimidated Jason, seeing as it was his first time. But then again, the soft, sweet sounds that they made that Jason strove to hear spoke differently. Each surprised gasp, or whimper, or moan, spoke volumes to him. From simply listening, it seemed as if this person was naïve in regards to anything of sexual nature, but upon closer observation, it seemed as if they were astonished for a whole other reason. Beneath the astonishment in those sounds, lay wonder. It was a wonder that made Jason feel special, because he knew that wonder was directed at him, meaning that the person beneath him was focusing solely on_ him _. And even though he didn’t know this person, he found a sense of jealousy brewing beneath the bliss, and various other delightful sensations. And jealousy that he found similar to the one towards Nico and his previous partners._

 _At that thought, Jason simply stopped, the pleasurable sensations drying up almost as quickly as they seemed to begin. And suddenly, reality seemed to come crashing down around him. This boy…this_ person _lying beneath him, tasted like, felt like, and even smelled like Nico, down to the earthy scent that had a faint, fresh scent of something undeniably sweet belying it. Nico,_ his _Nico who had gone missing, who was possibly dead, may have been lying beneath him in that very moment, his hands gripping Jason’s biceps, and a soft sound of desperate confusion spilling from his lips._

_Was this some cruel twist of fate? Or maybe a simple blessing that he would be able to be with Nico one last time before he would ever see him again?_

_Jason eye’s snapped open at that thought, and true to his beliefs, it was Nico who was lying beneath him, his porcelain skin flushed a sweet, light pink color, and his lips slightly swollen from their demanding kisses. His lashes fluttered every so often, his bare chest heaving with his labored breaths, as his lips twisted into a small, unconscious pout at being derived from the pleasure that he more than likely wanted._

_And Jason should have given it to him, if it was the last time that he would ever be with him, he should acquiesce to the boy’s wishes, and give into his every whim. But Jason found that he couldn’t, that it was too late for him to slip back into the throes of passion, and seemingly endless bliss, when his throat was already closing from the emotion building in his chest. “Nico…”_

_The boy’s brows furrowed in obvious confusion at the mournful tone of Jason’s voice, that he had tried so desperately to expel before he spoke. With trembling hands, he released Nico’s thighs, his hands hovering over the teen’s face for a moment, the tremble increasing by a tenfold at the thought of this being the last time that he would ever touch Nico. He was afraid that as soon as his hands made contact with the boy’s cool skin after his realization, that everything would fade away, would change, and take Nico with it. But his need overthrew his fear, and he lowered his hands to the boy’s skin, his heart seeming to plunge at the familiar feel of alabaster skin beneath his fingers._

_He wanted to tell Nico how much he cared for him, how sorry he was for ever leaving him in the first place and leaving him susceptible to being abducted in the first place. But instead of those words, the only words that left his lips were one so full of the sorrow he felt at the moment, causing his voice to break midsentence. “Come back to me, Nico.”_

_He took a deep breath, attempting to recollect himself as Nico’s lashes fluttered indecisively for a moment more. “Please…”_

_Then, before he had time to prepare himself, Nico’s eyes snapped open, revealing brilliant brown orbs. Before Jason had met Nico, had become closer to him, he hadn’t thought too much about the significance of brown eyes. Yes, they were warm, and rather inviting on most, but they were common, something that Jason had come to associate with comfort, and yes, normality. But on Nico…on Nico, they were somehow different. Beside the fact they were darker than normal, giving them a black appearance, Jason found that they were special, not because of their color, but because of whom they belonged to._

_Nico’s eyes widened upon catching sight of him, but Jason wasn’t quite sure if he was actually seeing_ him _, seeing as his eyes had never left his from the moment they locked gazes. “Just come back to me,” Jason whispered roughly, his hands tightening on the boy’s face as his eyes greedily ran across the teen’s features._

_Just in time to he realized, when everything around them began to fade, though he caught the look of desperation in Nico’s eyes crisp and clearly. The son of Hades’ eyes ran over his features desperately, evidently not finding what they were looking for seeing as the look of desperation in his eyes grew by a tenfold._

_Jason felt his heart clench as Nico made a frantic sound in the back of his throat, and the boy reached out to evidently clasp his face which was hovering a few mere inches above his. But as Jason waited to feel those cool hands meet his skin, he felt a surge of energy travel through him, travelling down and through Nico’s arms causing the boy to cry out in shock, pulling his limbs away jerkily. Jason found himself biting down harshly on his lower lip at the crestfallen look in Nico’s eyes._

_He sucked in a sharp breath as Nico reached out once more, fruitlessly, the desperation in his eyes causing an ache in the blonde’s chest. “Don’t leave me!” Nico cried out frantically, his voice coming out raw, and unsteadily._

_“I would never leave you, but I need you to come back to me, Nico, come back…”_

~*~

Jason jolted awake, his eyes flying open and his heart thudding in his chest, the thumping sounds rang in his ears, drowning out the sound of the faint, quaking that could simply be described as the Underworld which was always changing and moving, spreading and growing day-by-day. His skin was aflame with heat, his fists knotted in the heavy black comforter, which at the moment raked against his flaming skin uncomfortably, making him toss away the much too heavy blanket. His forehead was dotted with sweat, his breath coming out in short gasps, and on his mind, was one name, one _person_.

 _Nico_. He had dreamt of Nico.

With trembling fingers Jason wiped the sweat from his forehead, while simultaneously attempting to calm his racing heart, and slow his breathing. His dream…well, his dream had been rather unusual, unnerving, yet comforting all in the same. It had felt so _real_ , so very real that he swore he could feel the ghost of Nico’s smaller frame pressed against his, and the pressure of his fingers gripping his biceps. It felt as if Nico had been there with him, in his arms, within his very reach, even when he was not.

He sucked in a sharp breath, blindly looking around the elegant Victorian styled room he was currently residing in within the Underworld, the sound of Percy’s snoring audible from the door that joined their room on the far side of the space. Surprisingly, the labored, rather irritating sounds grounded him some, and kept him from losing it as he had been so dreadfully close to doing in the past few days. He didn’t think about whom the snores belonged to, lest he’d start thinking negatively, and he didn’t need that right now, especially when he still didn’t know where Nico was, and if he was safe.

Gods, if anything happened to Nico, he didn’t know what he’d do; but he did know for a fact that he wouldn’t forgive himself. He had been stupid, irrational, and plainly jealous, and he wasn’t quite sure how to apologize for that. But he did know that if something happened to Nico, he would never have that opportunity to do so.

Jason growled to himself as he sprang up from bed, unnecessarily shoving the damp, crumbled blankets off of the side of the bed as he stood. Yes, is was a useless action, but it helped to alleviate at least a twinge of his anger as he shoved his hands through his sleep crumpled hair, pushing his golden blonde fringe back from his eyes. The black, silk pajamas that the General had given him and Percy—courtesy of Hades of course—were clinging to his overheated skin, simply adding to the irritation he felt towards himself; yet it still didn’t drown out the heat tickling his skin where Nico’s hands had been clenching his biceps.

He could have _sworn_ the dream was real, so much so that he found his gaze darting over the room, searching fruitlessly for the son of Hades. When he search turned up empty—as he had expected it to—he felt his anger and desperation welling up inside of him, as he turned and slammed his fist against the nearest wall. The pain hurt, no, _seared_ against his fist, but he ignored that pain, focusing on the one bottled up inside him, forcing him to do _something_. Over and over he pounded his fist against the walls that glimmered faintly with jewels and other riches. “Damn you!” he snarled, his eyes burning as he squeezed them shut, and the excruciating pain in his fist making him aware that he more than broke skin.

“Damn you,” he repeated, his voice threatening to give out from the emotion whirling through him at that moment.

Though no one was with, or around him, he knew exactly who he was directed his words at—the Fates. Damn them for giving him a dream that felt so real, only to tear it away cruelly in a moment’s notice. Damn them for taking away innocent children of Apollo. But most of all, damn them for taking not only Nico away from him, but Thalia as well.

Jason felt tears welling in his eyes at the thought of his sister, who he had not forgotten next to Nico. Finding Nico was of great importance, yes, but finding Thalia was even more important to him. She was his family, no matter the physical distance between them whenever they were apart. She would always come first in his mind, next to anyone else. She was his only other surviving family member, besides his father, and she was the only one who would be there for him in a moment’s notice when he really needed her. He _had_ to find her, no matter the cost.

He clenched his jaw, so tightly; his teeth ached as he tightening his fist against the wall, the feel of skin tearing on his wrist bringing more tears to his eyes. No, the Fates couldn’t have just taken one or the other, they had to take them _both_ , in order to sit back and watch Jason’s world falling to pieces around him. These two people were irreplaceable in his life, people that he could never ever _fathom_ even attempting to replace. Not only did he need them in his life, he wanted them there as well, and even more than that, he wanted them to be okay. For all he knew that could be being tortured at this very moment, and could even be dead.

That thought made his anger at not only himself, but the Fates waver, and his felt desperation creeping up his throat like acidic bile that he couldn’t swallow back. Absently, he found himself slipping down the wall until he found himself on his knees; his head rested his hand, which was still fisted against the wall and his chest heaving with the force of his breaths.

He could feel himself losing it, losing the cool façade he had managed to uphold when he was in the presence of Hades and Persephone. He wasn’t okay, and with each second that passed in silence that was only broken by his regular panting breaths, and the sound of his pounding heart ringing in his ears, he found that no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to calm back down, to rationalize what he was feeling, and to tuck it away like he had done for so many years.

“I have to get it together,” he whispered for his ears only, barely holding back the wetness in his eyes that was ready to slip down his face as soon as he let his guard down.

He had to keep it together, not only for himself, but for the sake of his mission. He couldn’t afford to have these moments while he was searching for Nico and his sister. He didn’t have time for freak outs and bouts of self-loathing; he _had_ to pull it together. But right now, he found that every attempt to do so simply failed miserably, leaving him panting and feelings even more desperate than before and he continued to squeeze his eyes shut against the world.

He couldn’t do it right now, couldn’t pull himself together, no matter how much he wanted to, and found that his every attempt to do so was fruitless. Yes, it was true that along the mission he wouldn’t have time for moments like these, couldn’t afford to break down when he was supposed to be leading. He was a son of Jupiter, and as a son of Jupiter, he _never_ showed weakness, and never let himself feel emotions that would bring him down.

But for right now, he had time. He didn’t have to put on a show of confidence for anyone else; it was just he, and himself. He had no one that he had to impress, the he had to lead and be strong for right now. Gods, he couldn’t even be strong for _himself_ right now. There was no point in him trying keep his emotions bottled up, to shove them down and act like they didn’t exist when he was simply in his own company. He had time to breakdown.

So he just let go.

He pressed his head into the cool wall his was rested against as he first sign of wetness began to slip down his face, trailing down his cheek and down his chin as another droplet followed, finally free from it’s the constrain Jason had put upon it. His chest ached as silent sobs shook his frame, his fist tightening painfully against the wall as he wrapped his free arm around his stomach, which was roiling uncontrollably from the force of his heaving breaths.

 _This is weakness_ , he thought as he tasted a salty droplet on the tip of his tongue, his chest seeming to constrict with the feel of it all. _No_ , he corrected himself it was emotion, something he was not accustomed to, something that he found himself ashamed to feel on a daily basis. So just for today, just for this moment, he simply let himself feel.

** Percy’s POV **

Percy stared up at the ceiling as the sounds of unmeasured breathing rang in his ears. And he knew for a fact what Jason was doing in that room, knew that the catches in his breath wasn’t just a sinus infection or a stuffed up nose, or something of the sort. He knew that the little sounds of frustration that were audible at times weren’t ones of someone who was fast asleep, dreaming away, but that the sounds were directed at Jason himself and more than likely the situation he was in. And more than he knew all of these things, he knew that Jason wasn’t okay.

Percy wasn’t stupid, despite popular opinion, and he knew how to read people better than others thought, though it was just that it took him a while to process what it was that he was seeing. Jason could put on as many brave, confident, calm, and whatever else fronts he wanted, but at the end of the day, he still wouldn’t be alright. Percy knew that better than most. He knew that Jason blamed himself for Nico’s disappearance, knew that in the way his shoulders hunched in a barely noticeable manner whenever the son of Hades was mentioned. Jason felt as if he owed it to Hades and Persephone to find their son. To him, this quest was personal, more so than it was to Percy himself.

Yes he wanted Nico to be okay, and safe. Yes, he wanted to reconcile with him, and apologize for all of the shitty things he had ever done to him, starting from the day they first met, to the day Nico had been abducted. But Jason wanted those things times ten, plus some more. And not only did Jason want Nico to be found safe, he wanted Thalia to be found safe as well. Not only did this kidnapper tear away the object of Jason’s affection, they tore away the only family he had left. And for that, Percy knew better than most that they would pay.

Revenge was an ugly, common thing amongst children of the Big Three, and trait that they could all say that they got from their ever rivaling fathers. And no matter how level headed Jason could be, Percy knew for a fact that there was a chance that he would completely lose it if he found that something happened to his sister and Nico. And when that time came, Percy wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop him, no matter how much he tried. When it came to fighting for something he believed in, or something he cared for, Jason couldn’t be stopped. Percy himself understood that more than most, because he had been in a situation similar to Jason’s, when his mom was taken from him. He didn’t care about the dangers that would come with trying to get her back, didn’t care about how many people told him how useless it was to try, and most of all, he didn’t care about risking his life to get her back.

He had done it with his mom, and he had done it with Annabeth. He knew the position Jason was in, knew how hard he would fight to get the people he cared for back, and safe by his side. He knew that Jason would more than likely become reckless in his pursuit, and put himself in harm’s way without the blink of an eye, and he knew that Jason wouldn’t be okay until he got Nico and Thalia back.

And Percy would be right there to help him along the way, no matter what had happened between them in the past. This was something he would fight alongside Jason for, because he knew the son of Jupiter would do the same thing for him if the situation was reversed, no matter what.

** Annabeth’s POV **

They were gone. _Percy_ was gone.

Annabeth felt the color drain from her face at Leo’s anxious, yet firm declaration, her hands forming trembling fists against her knees as she struggled to control her breathing. Desperately, she sucked in a sharp breath, her lungs seizing with the abrupt action and nearly making her choke on her next breath.

She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think straight, and gods, she was on the verge of breaking. They were gone. Just like that.  One moment they were there, and the next, gone, poof, without a trace. Not only had Thalia gone missing, along with more than twenty-five percent of the Apollo cabin—leaving Will Solace to stumble around, like an empty shell, blaming himself for his siblings’ disappearances—and Nico, but now her brother was missing as well. And so was Percy.

The silence within the Big House was deafening, so much so that she could hear her own heartbeat ringing in her ears, loud enough that she absently wondered if anyone could hear it as well as she could. The silence lasted for a moment before Piper jumped up; the colors of her eyes shifting so rapidly that Annabeth forced back a faint nauseous feeling in addition to the precarious rolling of her stomach. “They…they’re _gone_?!”

Leo exhaled roughly, shoving both hands through his unkempt curls, frustration evident on his impish features, and he turned, glaring at the Native American daughter of Aphrodite with barely contained fury, that more than likely stemmed from the feeling of helplessness Annabeth was sure everyone sitting in the room was feeling. “Did I not just say that, Beauty Queen?”

Piper’s eyes flashed dangerously, her jaw clenching in a manner that Annabeth recognized meant she was getting ready to figuratively fight fire with fire. Before the beauty could open her mouth and speak, Annabeth’s hand shot out, her fingers wrapping around Piper’s wrist, and tugging gently, but firmly to get her attention. For a brief moment, Piper turned her attention to her, her eyes softening gradually as she took in the evidently stricken look of her face.

Chiron cleared his throat from his spot in the center of the room where he was tensely positioned in his wheelchair, drawing the attention in the room to himself and away from the bickering demigods. “I understand that you are both distressed, but please, do not take your frustrations out on one another. Now, Leo, please explain what happened once more; slowly this time, if you don’t mind.”

Leo sucked in a sharp breath, his features darkening at Chiron’s request, but he did as the centaur asked anyways, his eyes slightly softened as a result of the previous words Chiron had spoken. “After we met Diana, the hot, strange chick who was apparently Mr. D’s kid, everyone except me, Drew, and Jason left. We were talking about all the crap that’s been going down lately, and then this skeleton _thing_ just popped up behind Jason like some kind of undead ninja, with his hellhound sidekick, and started threatening us. He was all ‘If you guys try and attack us, this enormous hellhound will gobble you up, so there.’ And Jason was all, ‘You guys just go, I’ve got this, because I’m Superman and it’s my duty to put my life at risk for the sake of mankind, even is said mankind can hold their—or in this case— _his_ own—.’”

“ _Leo_ ,” Chiron sighed out, reaching up and massaging his temples with barely concealed impatience.

Leo continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted, his hands fidgeting at his sides while he occasionally lifted them to motion around wildly, dramatically emphasizing his point. “So Drew and I left, because there’s no arguing with Jason when he like that, but me being my ingenious self decided to test out my new invention that enables its user to hear things, such as conversations from a large distance. It still has a few kinks, but—.”

“Focus, Leo,” Piper’s foot was tapping impatiently against the floor Annabeth noticed, though her brows were furrowed with concern, and something everyone in that room had to be feeling at that moment; helplessness.

“Right. Anyway, I was listening in on them, and it turns out, the skeleton guy wanted to take him, Jason, and Percy somewhere. I couldn’t quite make it out, because as I said, the invention still has some kinks to be worked out, such as the fact that it hones it on conversations that are close enough for it to be picked out. Even those in a passing car’s conversation could be heard—but I’ll explain that later. Fact of the matter is, I went to go warn Percy, because…there wasn’t much I could do to help Jason by then, but by the time I got there, Percy was gone too. The skeleton thing said they were being summoned; I think it was by the kidnapper.”

Annabeth’s mouth went dry, her grip on Piper’s wrist tightening to a point that she was more than positive was painful, yet Piper didn’t do so much as complain, choosing to simply glance reassuringly at her, despite the way her form was tensed. “We don’t know that for sure,” Chiron attempted to reason softly, though by the way his lips had formed a tight, thin line, Annabeth was sure he was under that assumption as well.

“And we don’t know for sure that it _wasn’t_ the kidnapper! So, why the hell are we just sitting here?!” Leo exploded, throwing his hands up in the air, frustration evident on his features, and absently looked in Drew’s direction for what Annabeth assumed was backup, where the daughter of Aphrodite was sitting there numbly, having not said a word since everyone had arrived, opting to blankly stared down at her hands, a distant look in her eyes. “Gods, they could be dead, and yet we’re just sitting on our asses, twiddling our thumbs!”

Annabeth sucked in a sharp breath, her lungs seizing desperately at the precious air that she hadn’t realized she had been depriving herself of. Dead? Leo wasn’t _incorrect_ in his theory. The kidnapper _could_ have them—all of them—, and while they were all sitting around, trying to decide where the demigods had disappeared to, their—those who were missing—could be in danger.

“I—we need to do something,” she rasped out hoarsely, thankful that her voice didn’t come out as choked as she had assumed it would.

“Just what would you have me do,” Chiron began tersely, but not unkindly. “Send the lot of you out there to be abducted yourselves?”

Annabeth closed her mouth, fighting the words that were threatening to spill out over her lips. “Whoever it is that is behind the disappearances evidently has immense power. They are not just taking simple, untrained demigods, but those who have years of experience. Haven’t you all noticed that the ones who have gone missing are those who have been at the camp for the longest? Those who have more experience than others?”

“Crap, you’re right,” Leo hissed after a few seconds of silence, his words trailing off until they were mumbled, unrecognizable words of another language, Spanish more than likely.

Annabeth’s hands tightened into fists, and she inwardly cursed herself for overlooking this detail. She needed to get it together. Stressing and hopeful thinking wouldn’t help them in the slightest. She was a daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, she could figure out _anything_ , so long as she put her mind to it. But that meant separating her emotions from her logic. Separating her mind from her heart.

“Why haven’t they come after Will Solace yet, supposing they’re still targeting children of Apollo?” Piper questioned - her features stony, and hard.

“Because they’re not only targeting half-bloods that are children of Apollo, but ones that have exceptional fighting skills,” Annabeth found herself saying before she even registered the words coming from her mouth, this time her voice was strong and unwavering, and absently, she noticed Chiron gazing at her with a look of appraisal.

“Huh?” Leo’s head was tilted to the side with confusion, but Annabeth didn’t fault him for not figuring things out sooner, besides, she wanted to explain her reasoning, to get her mind off the recent events at hand.

“Don’t get me wrong, Will’s skills are more than average when it comes to fighting, but his main, more exceptional talents are in healing, not in battle.”

“But why would the kidnapper is abducting fighters?” Leo questioned, and Annabeth noticed Piper’s mouth closing, her head nodding agreement to Leo’s question.

Annabeth shook her head indecisively. “I’m not quite sure; there is a plethora of—.”

Leo snorted. Amusement evident on his features, and smoothing down the severity that had been there mere moments ago. “Sorry. _Plethora_ , it’s just a weird word. But anyways, continue.”

She shook her head, unable to help the small, slightly reluctant smile that touched her lips at Leo’s interruption. “As I was saying, there are a plethora of reasons that the kidnapper could be targeting some of the strongest fighters, and it won’t be long before they start going after demigods in other cabins, with different godly parentages. But as for _why_ the fighters are being targeting, the reasoning can range from attempting to break down some of the camp’s defenses to capturing them simply for sport, to test their own strength.”

“Or, as we have seen in the past, to build an army,” Chiron pointed out solemnly.

Annabeth inwardly winced. She had tried to keep from mentioning that idea. They had all been through enough between the Titan War and the Giant War. They were only teenagers—only children in the case of some. They had been through more wars than the average kid should have been subjecting to. So the thought of even _mentioning_ the possibility of another war made her reluctant. Before she could get a word out though, Cayden came quietly, stealthily through the door, ready to wait until their conversation ceased, and all eyes were on him. And despite the fact that he had moved in a nearly soundless manner, the faint sound of the screen door shutting against the frame sound seemed to echo in the room around them, signaling someone who was not quite welcome at the moment. And Annabeth was ready to tell him so, though politely, until she saw the grim look on his face, his lips pulled into a tight, thin line, and his strawberry blonde brows furrowed.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was standing, her fists clenched by her sides as ideas of what may have occurred wear already racing through her mind. “They took another half-blood, didn’t they?”

Cayden shook his head, his mouth working wordlessly for a moment before he closed his eyes, seeming to gather himself before his lids reopened, revealing his hazel orbs. He studied everyone in the room for a moment, and Annabeth felt her skin itching with not only fear, and anticipation, but irritation as well. She was so _sick_ of waiting for bad news, so sick of holding her breath to wait and see what would come. She was sick of not knowing what would happen next, sick of not knowing if who this kidnapper was, and not knowing if her friends were in danger or not.

Finally, Cayden’s eyes met hers, and where she had expected to see fear, and uncertainty, she saw sympathy in the young teen’s eyes that she didn’t quick understand, given the news she was expecting to hear. “The Romans are here. Including the one—the centurion—named Hazel, and she’s searching for her brother—for _di Angelo_ —right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, what did you all think?  
> Was it worth the wait?  
> I'd truly love to know what you all thought about this chapter, seeing as I wrote, and rewrote it, time and time again.  
> Again, thanks for simply reading, and even going the extra mile and leaving kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subscriptions on this story, it means a lot.  
> Hopefully, I'll be writing another one of these soon, but for Chapter 27. [ ;  
> Alright, I'm out, love you all, and thank you for all of the support. ;*  
> ~  
> Okay, I've updated this little note, because this is a rather important question.  
> Okay, as I've said, I won't be able to update as fast as I, and you all probably want me to.  
> So, my question is, would you guys and gals rather wait longer, for more lengthy chapters for the time being, or shorter, quicker chapters, that will still be over 5k, but under 10k?  
> Thanks for your help, darlings. [ :


	27. In My Mind I'm Wondering What I'm Paying For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello there all you wonderful reader.  
> Long time no see/talk.  
> It's been over a month since I've last updated, thanks to my clumsiness that kicks in at the most inopportune moments. In short, I dropped my precious baby laptop. ;'D  
> Thankfully, the repairs didn't take as long as I'd thought they would, but in the meanwhile, I wasn't quite willing to start the whole chapter anew, especially with all of my notes on that computer. Buuuut, while my computer was out of commission, I'm proud to say that I got my butt into gear and I began writing, as well as putting out the framework for a new story!  
> So yay for that, and hopefully, by the time I finish this story--which by the way I have no idea when I will be finishing it, seeing as I create chapters as I go along--I'll have a few chapters of the next story finished and ready to push out.
> 
> Alrighty, now, thanks my oh-so wonderful beta who takes time out of her day to help decode my grammatical shennanigans. Also thanks to all of you for leaving comments, kudos, for bookmarking, subscribing, etc, and simply reading this story. It means lots. Oh yes, and thank you for all of you all's patience with this chapter.
> 
> As you all know, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and criticism is welcomed.  
> The title of the chapter is a verse from "Nikki" by Logic, it's a wonderful song, and I suggest you all listen to it if you haven't already.  
> Okay, now, enjoy the chapter, darlings. [ ;

** Nico’s POV **

To say Nico was nervous was not simply a small understatement, but a vast one instead. “Keep up now Nico, darling,” Lady Goddess trilled, snapping her fingers impatiently as Nico lagged behind, not purposefully of course, but not only physically, but mentally as well, it seemed as if he were dragging blocks of cement along with him as he walked on, his feet pushing against the polished marble floors of the resort as they approached the casino, and he could tell that the goddess was displeased by not only the sound, but by the fact that Nico was much less excited than she was to get this whole plan underway.

Not only could he not stop thinking about those vibrant blue eyes that had been haunting his every waking moment since he had been saved by Lady Goddess, but now, his mind was working double time to not only ponder the sorrow in those eyes, but to analyze the sheer power he had felt when the Lady had touched him back in the suite. If that mere touch could pack that much power, and cause uncomfortable chills to spread throughout his whole frame within seconds, he could barely begin to imagine what would happen if that power was released on someone, or even a multitude of people. He knew that Lady Goddess was strong, yes, and throughout history she had been made a mockery of; underestimated, and disregarded. But within the few days they had been together, he could _feel_ her power growing, gods, her aura was practically shining around her right now, making it seem as if her skin was glowing healthily to the mortal eye, but Nico knew better. He knew for a fact that every time she left without a plausible explanation, her power grew each and every time she returned. And with every ounce of power she gained, she seemed to lose bits and pieces of her rational mind as well. And while yes, he knew that this was occurring, he wasn’t the least bit sure _how_.

And this was why Nico was so anxious to learn the “art of deception”—as Lady Goddess had so eloquently put it. Right now, she was unpredictable. He couldn’t quite say _what_ she would do if he made the smallest of mistakes, but he just knew that it wouldn’t be pretty. Gods, she had nearly snapped on him on the way down to the casino for holding the elevator and allowing a mortal on. “—then, we shall…Nico? Have you been listening to a word that I have been saying?”

His head snapped up at the twinge of irritation that rang in the goddess’s voice, and he turned to look up at her, inwardly wincing at the frustration that was brewing in her orbs. “Ah, no, I haven’t. I’m sorry; I’m a bit distracted—.”

“And what, pray tell, is it that has you so distracted from one of the most important tasks you’ve ever had the pleasure of completing and from listening in on the instruction I am giving you to help you complete this task?”

Nico opened his mouth to respond, but Lady Goddess just wasn’t having it; she was on a roll, and more than likely her frustration from earlier on was fermenting over into this situation, as he could tell by her clenched fists and her clenched jaw, as well as the way that she lifted her chin, looking more haughty than usual. “You do realize that I did not have to pick you to be my hero, demigod. I could have effortlessly picked any other half-blood from that silly little camp of yours full of illegitimate children.”

He felt his heart drop at her declaration, unable to stop the feeling of betrayal creeping up his throat and leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He was special, she had told him, she had picked him because he was different from all the other demigods at both camps, and there had been something in him that had called to her, which made her choose him.

Or so he thought.

Nico swallowed soundlessly, turning away slightly and finding himself unable to meet her angered gaze. He knew she was upset, he just didn’t think that she was _that_ upset. Upset enough to declare that she didn’t need him, that he was simply one lucky straw in a pile of hay. “Now what will say to that, demigod? Will you continue to be a weakling, or will you be strong and not disappoint me as you have done thus far? Keep in mind, I am doing this for not only myself, but for you as well because I know you hold ill will towards the son of Poseidon. Now prove to me that I have not chosen incorrectly.” Lady Goddess raised a single, perfectly groomed brow expectantly, waiting for him respond.

He had been disappointing her this whole time? And here he thought he had doing right by her, doing just as she asked. _It’s not you,_ he reminded himself despite the way the motherly look on Lady Goddess’s regal features was screaming otherwise. _It has nothing to do with you. Something is wrong with Lady Goddess, she’s not herself. Okay?_ “I…I’m just worried that I won’t be able to grasp the…that _art_ of deception before the time comes to carry out my task. I’m worried I won’t live up to your expectations and represent you well.”

Lady Goddess’s features smoothed out in response to his explanation, and Nico had to clamp his lips together in order to mute the sigh of relief that attempted to force its way out at the way the flame of anger quickly died in her eyes. “My dear, dear, Nico,” she murmured, her voice, soft, silky, and sweet; completely different from the cold, cruel tone she had used with him mere moments before. The tone of her voice was washing over him and evoking a sense of comfort, gradually soothing the tension in his shoulders against his will and better judgment. “There is no possible way you can fail, not with me as your teacher, my love.”

Nico found himself agreeing, not only outwardly, but inwardly as well. He trusted that if this woman, this _goddess_ , could keep her whereabouts a secret from him for this long, without even skipping a beat, or forgetting to cover her tracks, that she could teach him to deceive just one person. Besides that, the rest was up to him, and his strength and speed. He merely had to get Percy to lower his guard, and then he would have the opportunity moment to kill him, to do something that he not only had to do, but _wanted_ to do as well.

And yes, despite the fact that mere moments ago he had been verbally abused by this goddess, he still believed in her, still believed that she cared for him as much as he cared for her. She…she just really wanted him to succeed, that was all. And at the same time, she wanted to prove herself to the other gods, to show them that she was more than just who history proved her to be.

“Now,” Lady Goddess began as they neared the casino, the soft music he had heard playing distantly on their trip there more audible now, and he was sure he recognized the soulful sound of a saxophone playing. How ironic, play relaxing songs while most of the inhabitants of the casino gamble away their life savings. But who was he to judge? He was here, after all, only to learn the art of deception; to _kill_.

“Nico,” Lady Goddess snapped, her eyes flashing with impatience as she turned from the view of the casino to him. “I will tell you now that the first thing you are doing wrong is staring down at the ground as if _it_ will be teaching you how to accomplish your mission. As the predator, you must show confidence or else you will be mistaken as a prey, do you understand?”

Nico nodded his head attentively, finding it rather difficult not to refocus his gaze on the ground below. “And this shuffling that you are doing with your feet, it must cease immediately. Chin up, stride long and confident. Wash every emotion from your face that one could prey upon or mistake as weakness. You must act the part of your father’s son. After all, you should be in your element with this. All of these potential riches just at your fingertips.”

He found himself agreeing automatically, not just because of the “father” card Lady Goddess had pulled, but because of the fact that she was truly correct. This was Las Vegas, the city of potential riches, and if he had any say in the matter, he would most definitely be one of the few that walked away with big smiles on their faces, knowing that they had just beat the odds, and left with arms full of their treasures. Nico wasn’t quite sure that he would be getting lucky in _that_ way, but he did know that he would—or at least _try_ to—master the art of deception by the end of the day.

“Alright,” he responded after a moment spent in silence, and he was rather proud of the strong way he voice came out, “I’m ready.”

A grin stretched across the goddess’s rather lovely features at his declaration, and her hand flitted around in a motion for him to lift his chin, in the confident manner she had instructed him of. “As I knew you were. Now, come along, we haven’t got all day my darling, and there are things that must be done before you even consider killing the son of Poseidon.”

Nico nodded, following alongside her as she began to walk—no _glide_ —towards the entrance of the casino once more. She looked every part the goddess she was, her head held high and her sleek, black dress billowing around her as she strutted towards the entrance of the casino. At any other moment if he wouldn’t have known her at typical moment, he would have hated her; the way she carried herself, the air of confidence around her was intimidating. Yes, he would have hated her from a distance, would have grumbled about the conceited way she entered, as if she were better than everyone else. But then again, he wouldn’t even approach he and would have simply looked on with contempt as she dominated the whole casino with her beauty and her poise.

As they entered the casino, Nico noticed that not only were people staring at Lady Goddess, but him as well. For a moment, he wanted to duck away and hide, to escape their stares. He had been gawked at enough in his life. For the strange occurrences that had happened around him inexplicably as well as the fact that his parentage was strange, uncommon, and basically taboo. But this time, people were staring at him, not outright, _genuine_ contempt, or distrust, but with longing; some outright in their gazes, and some hidden behind masks of contempt and indifference.

“Do you see that?” Lady Goddess muttered beneath her breath, looking rather radiant as she soaked up the adoring gazes she received from both men and women alike, as well as the discreet looks of disdain that harbored a sense of longing as well. “Just from the way you entered, you are being revered by everyone who is graced by your presence, by _our_ presence. We are the predators and they—everyone here—is our prey. We have them in the palm of our hands, _we_ hold the power. We are on top.”

Nico found himself reveling in the gazes he got, embracing them, and even meeting them head on as Lady Goddess’s empowering words reached his ears. She was every bit correct. _They_ held the authority. _They_ were the ones who had the mortals on the edges of their seats without saying, or doing a thing, staring at them as if they were the greatest being in the universe. And right now, in the mortals’ eyes, they _were_ the greatest being in the universe, the most beautiful, the most regal, and the most intimidating. The mortals wished they could be them, _wished_ that they could be endorsed in such courage too.

And it felt great to finally be on the other side of the envious stares instead of behind them; to finally be one of the people who everyone wanted to be and wanted to acquaint themselves with. He knew he’d be lying to himself if he said he believed otherwise. “Now Nico,” Lady Goddess purred, eyeing a particularly attractive male who had propped himself up against the bar, and was displaying himself rather flamboyantly to attract the goddess’s attention. “Watch and learn my dear demigod, this is lesson number one.”

Nico followed behind the goddess as she sashayed over to the bar, taking a seat on one of the bar stools and positioning herself in a way that the man would believe she was paying him no heed. But Nico could see the way she was attuned to his every move, displaying herself as well in every move that she made. “Innocence is always something you want to display, my dear Nico,” she murmured, batting her long lashes inconspicuously, in a way that would simply look natural to anyone else. But Nico wasn’t anyone else. He knew she was doing it purposefully.

“Innocence? But won’t that appear to make you the prey and not the predator?” he questioned, truly perplexed by her words.

“Not if you use your innocence to your favor. Innocence is one of the best ways to deceive someone, and I imagine you would be able to tap into your innocence rather easily; despite your multiple…sexual _escapades_.”

Nico felt his face heating, and he ducked his head quickly in an attempt to regain himself. “Exactly what I mean,” Lady Goddess scoffed, shyly eyeing the man who still stood on the other side of the bar, who jumped to attention, giving her a dazzling smile before she returned it with her own, much more timid smile.

“My Lady, do you mind expanding on what you said? I…I mean I really want to understand before the time comes for me to use what I’ve learned.”

“Right,” she agreed, quickly turning from the man, much to the mortal’s dismay. “You must use your innocence to your advantage; tap into it double it, _triple it_ , if you must to achieve your goal. You are young Nico, and along with the fact that you were…well, for lack of a better word, _imprisoned_ in the Lotus Hotel  & Casino, your innocence exceeds most, despite how your appearances and parentage say otherwise.”

“My appearances?” Nico questioned, feeling rather affronted as he absently began to raise a self conscious hand to his cheek.

“Oh, don’t be such a tot, half-blood,” Lady Goddess sniffed, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. “I merely meant appearances as in the way you dress…and your sickly pallor doesn’t really help much dear, you should get some sun.”

“I burn easily,” Nico grumbled, knowing that that answer wasn’t completely true. His healthy color had diminished with the many days he had spent in the Underworld alongside his father. But he wouldn’t tell Lady Goddess that. He didn’t want her to question his loyalty. After all, his father had hurt him just as much as Percy did, if not more, from what Lady Goddess had told him. But he didn’t need to worry on taking vengeance on him, or anyone else who had wronged him, no, that was Lady Goddess’s area of expertise.

“Of course you do my darling, of course,” the goddess murmured halfheartedly as she casually pulled on her dress, causing the already sweeping neckline to dip further, showing off her rather—well, he could simply say the goddess was well endowed.

“What?” Lady Goddess asked innocently as she caught onto Nico’s rather appalled gaze, throwing her hands up in exasperation as he merely raised a critical brow. “There’s nothing wrong with a little sex appeal, darling. You should be taking notes, actually, since _sex_ seems to be your area of expertise—especially out of wedlock. And with those who are…well, there’s no kind way to say this: in _relationships_.”

Nico inwardly winced at the slight curl of the goddess’s upper lip. He knew how much loyalty mattered to her, knew that she wouldn’t stand for another betrayal in her lifetime. “Yes, anyway,” he continued on, attempting to breeze over the subject as smoothly as possible; he didn’t want Lady Goddess getting all testy with him in such a public place. He had been lucky earlier when she seemed to have more control over her temper. But it seemed the more he questioned her and her teachings, the more hostile she became, taking verbal shots at him that struck rather low. He was just glad that these blows were rather verbal than physical, especially with all the power she seemed to be harboring.

He cut off that train of thought before he allowed it to continue. He had to focus, had to be at his best for not only his own sake, but for the sake of the goddess sitting beside him. “What were you saying about sex appeal?”

Lady Goddess immediately perked at that, giving him her most appreciative smile. “Sex appeal causes even the most of loyal beings to fall prey to its seductive grasps. And even more than that, _power_ appeal has snagged quite a few beings as well.”

Nico noticed the bitter way in which she spoke, and he knew this had taken a personal turn for her, one that he wouldn’t dare try and detour her from. She turned, eyeing the man who continued to display himself for her eyes only, and Nico noticed the way her eyes flashed before they were full of innocent curiosity once more. She was dead set on vengeance, and nothing he could have said would change that. “First, you reel them in, and then you make them feel as if they’re your hero, your whole world, your _salvation_. And after you take what you need from them, you crush them, because all they are just pawns in the first place. A stepping stone for you to get ahead,” she hissed, contempt twisting her normally pleasant tone and making it rough, and ugly. But as she continued on, her tone became more vacantly pleasant, and she turned to give him a lovely smile. “And you succeeded. Therefore, you have no more use for them; you are allowed to toss them aside like garbage, because you are better than them, you are better than everyone, you are—.”

“Lady Goddess, please,” Nico whispered cautiously, placing a hand over her trembling one as her tone began to rise, nearly drawing the attention of those closest to them. And once again, Nico noticed the rush of power, the sheer power that made his head throb uncomfortably, made him want to cower and grovel in her presence. But he refused. He was her demigod, her _equal_ ; she had said so herself.

The goddess blinked once, slipping her hand from beneath his and giving him a small smile. “I apologize, I merely got carried away. It’s just that doing this reminds me so much of my hu—.”

“I understand,” he cut in quickly, giving her a small smile of his own which she returned more brilliantly this time before she reached out and cupped his cheek reverently.

“Of course you do,” she purred softly, her finger lightly running over his alabaster skin as if he could break from anything other than a gentle touch. “You are my demigod, my _hero_. There is a reason I chose you of course.”

There it was.

Nico felt himself relax at her words, his smile becoming much more delighted at that. So she _hadn’t_ meant what she said earlier, that she could have just chosen any demigod. He was specifically chosen. “Well don’t preen,” she teased softly, patting his cheek once before she removed her hand, placing it back down on the bar.

“My Lady…I—well I have a question if you don’t mind me asking it.”

“Go on and ask then, my love,” she murmured distractedly, having gone back to gazing at the man on the other side of the bar.

He cleared his throat nervously and dropped his tone down an octave, barely restraining himself from drumming his fingers on his thigh in an anxious manner. “From what you said earlier, about tossing the one who you used to the side, after you’ve succeeded in your task—which in this case would be killing Percy—well…because we’ll be the ones deceiving among other things, does that mean we’re the villains?”

Lady Goddess smiled seductively, the curl of her blood-red lips se turned towards him, turning that wolfish smile on him “No, not quite,” the goddess murmured. “But then again, are there ever true heroes in the Greek world, or any other of those mortal fantasies? Despite that, we can’t quite classify deception as _good_ , now can we?”

Nico watched as Lady Goddess turned, giving him her full attention, truly, for the first time that night. Her vibrant eyes locked on his as she daintily crossed her legs, absently giving those around her a show of her unblemished skin. “Nico, my darling, have you ever wondered why the villains in your mortal books and movies were always ugly and rather unattractive?”

He gave his head a small shake in response, inwardly wondering what her line of questioning had to do with the task before them. Lady Goddess smirked, her eyes twinkling with not only mischief, but something different, something that Nico could only classify as treacherous. “The reason is as follows; if villains’ looks matched their charm and their cunning, not only would they be dangerous, they would be _irresistible_.”

Nico’s brows furrowed at that.

She turned back to the man once more, lazily unfolding herself from her seat, yet with a graceful, feline like poise. “Now, watch and learn, my darling. And be sure to… _take notes_ , and don’t fall behind.”

And that was all she said as she strode over to the man, looking every bit of the confident goddess she was, despite the timid play she had put on for the mortal male moments before. She was graceful, dazzling, _cunning_ …everything Nico needed to be when the time came for him to kill Percy.

So he watched, as much as he wanted to stare down at his drink when the bartender set it out in front of him. Simple raspberry lemonade sangria was set before him—she held the vodka of course; Lady Goddess claimed she wanted him clear headed during his lesson. Despite her declaration, he knew if he were to survive the night, he would need a little more than lemonade in a fancy cup.

“Can I get you another one of those?” came a smooth voice from beside him, causing Nico to jump as he was pulled from his own thoughts.

He turned to see a teen that didn’t look much older than he—nineteen at the oldest. His dark brunette was strategically styled in a look that Nico found he was meant to find as messy, his blue-grey eyes travelling over his small form in such a way the he barely withheld himself from fidgeting the way he truly wished to. “Well?”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” he replied after a moment of silence in which he had surveyed the mortal teen before him, proud of the way his voice didn’t waver, and the fact that he kept his features smooth and relaxed, fighting off the scowl he had felt trying to creep up on his features. “I haven’t even finished my first drink yet.”

He turned back to his drink, a small grimace set on his features when after a few moments he found that the teen didn’t intend to leave his side. Couldn’t he just be left alone to sit and wallow in peace? _I do not think that would be possible, demigod._

Nico found himself snapping to attention at the sound of Lady Goddess’s voice ringing through his consciousness, sweeping away all hid doubts, and other unnecessary things that had been on his mind. Quickly, and mentally, Nico hid away the image of those vibrant blue eyes, not wanting Lady Goddess to whisk them away in the impromptu spring cleaning she was performing on his mind. _Much better_ , she trilled, and he barely withheld a wince at the squeaky quality her voice took on.

 _Would you please get out of my head, my Lady? You’re distracting me from your own teachings,_ Nico eyed the teen from the corner of his eyes, his gaze flying back to his drink when he realized the teen was doing the same to him.

 _Oh my, he’s quite the looker, hm? Let him buy you a drink._ Without _alcohol, my darling._

 _I’ll pass_ , Nico responded dismissively, taking a languid sip of his drink as he fought to ignore the growl of irritation that resonated through his mind.

 _I do not remember asking. Let. Him. Buy. You. A. Drink_ , she snapped back, her voice taking on a much more pleasant quality as she finished her statement. _It’s a part of training, of course._

 _Fine_ , he found himself responded with much less heat in his mental voice than he would have liked. _Just get out of my head and I’ll do what you want._

_Anything for my half-blood and his success!_

And with that, Nico had his mind back to himself, feeling the moment when her consciousness had slipped in alongside his, making him feel rather uncomfortable. But even more than that, he felt uncomfortable having to force a social interaction with a stranger whose intention was more than likely to get in his pants; which was most certainly not happening. The mere thought of being with someone brought forth the images of those exuberant blue eyes, along with a deep sense of guilt that made his stomach roil precariously. He didn’t know what kind of connection he had with the person who the blue eyes belonged to, or even if they had a connection in the first place. Maybe he was just…obsessed? What if the eyes didn’t even belong to a person, and they were just something he had dreamt up in opposition to Percy’s sea green ones?

He gave his head a small, imperceptible shake. No, if one thing was for sure, it was the fact that he knew that those eyes belonged to _someone_. He just had to find out whom. But for now, he would worry about one thing at a time; figuring out how to play this boy beside him like a satyr’s reed pipes. And maybe this wouldn’t be so bad if the smell of alcohol wafting from the teen’s glass and invading his senses was anything to go by. He might just be able to get a drink off the lad while still furthering his training.

“Actually,” he began, drawling out to his words to snag the teen’s attention, which was not very hard considering the fact that he was still “subtly” eyeing Nico. “I think I’ll take that drink now; mine is getting a little watery.”

The boy gave him a sly, yet brilliant grin, nodding towards his cup. “What are you having then?”

“A raspberry lemonade sangria…with a shot of tequila and lime, if you don’t mind of course,” he gave the teen a small smile, the corners of his lips curling up slowly, in a way that Lady Goddess claimed people found attractive. _Claimed_ was the keyword there.

But from the way the teen’s eyes followed the movements of his lips, he mentally gave the goddess kudos; evidently, she actually knew what she was talking about…for a goddess who was eons old of course. “Of course I don’t mind,” the teen said once he snapped out of his induced stupor, turning to the bartender, and placing his hands palms down on the counter in a rather matter-of-fact manner. “Can I get a glass of white wine, raspberry lemonade sangria and a shot of tequila with lime?”

The bartender eyed him warily for a moment before finally holding out her hand, a brow rose expectantly, as she shifted her gaze from the older teen, to Nico. “Can I see some form of ID please? From both of you?”

“Of course,” the teen pulled out his wallet with a charming smile that didn’t seem to faze the bartender not one bit, and Nico found it hard to keep himself from snorting in amusement as her brow merely inched its way up higher as she waited. “Here you go; one ID for one lovely, responsible bartender who will most certainly be getting tipped rather generously tonight for her efforts.”

Nico handed his own to the bartender with a slight smile before he turned back to his drink, rather unconcerned about whether or not she found it out to be a fake. After all, it was nothing contorting the Mist couldn’t handle.

The bartender simply rolled her eyes as she was handed both IDs, eyeing them suspiciously before she handed it back to the teen with a grimace. “One glass of one, raspberry lemonade sangria, and a shot of tequila and lime coming up… _sirs_ ,” she added with some difficulty before she turned from the two to prepare their drinks.

“A fake ID will get you very far in life, I must say,” the teen muttered, leaning in close in an attempt at being mysterious. Nico couldn’t say he was at all amused, or charmed. Hopefully that wouldn’t be the case as soon as his drinks were set in front of him.

He hummed, feigning interest as he nodded his head slowly, fixing a small, amused smile on his lips, attempting to make it look as genuine as possible. “As a _man_ of…”

“Nineteen,” the teen filled in with a smug grin.

“…of nineteen,” Nico continued languidly, tracing shapes on the fogged glass of his drink. “Should most certainly know.”

“Try telling that to my parents. They still treat me like I’m a child; like I can’t do anything,” the boy grumbled, his face darkening a bit.

Nico couldn’t help but roll his eyes, although discreetly. All he wanted was a few free drinks to help him survive this night of training, not a sob story, as much as he probably would have been able to relate. He wasn’t quite in the mood for hearing of anyone else’s troubles at the current moment, when his own were littering his mind, consuming his attention every waking moment.

But being the _polite_ demigod that he was, he merely nodded his head respectfully, continuing to trace random patterns over the fogged glass before him. “I can most certainly relate.”

The teen merely nodded his head distantly before he continued to mouth off a mile a minute about how “absolutely _irritating_ ” his parents were. If Nico had any say in the matter, he would argue that it was not his parents who were the irritating ones, but the teen himself. But once again, he didn’t saying anything, and merely stuck to nodding his head respectfully, appearing as if he were listening, though he kept one eye on the bartender, silently praying that she finished with their drinks before Nico felt the urge to strangle the obviously conceited boy before him.

And for once, his prayers were answered as the female bartender handed them their drinks, eyeing the unnamed teen beside him expectantly. “Just put it on my tab,” the boy said with a wave of his hand, but at that point, Nico wasn’t quite listening, choosing instead to down his shot of tequila, forgoing the lime at this point.

He noticed the teen eyeing him with something akin to awe as he reached for his sangria, and he merely lifted a brow, prompting the boy to ask the question that was written on his face, as _he_ tried to refrain from groaning at the sweet, fruity scent of the raspberry lemonade sitting before him, his senses picking up the potent smell of alcohol as well, the strong scent of it promising to wash away his worries and concerns for the time being. “How do you drink that stuff?”

Nico found himself smiling at the teen’s question, taking a quick sip of his sangria before gave the boy a mischievous smile. “I’ll show you how,” and with that, he turned to the bartender, a grin lifting the corners of his lips despite the exasperated look on her features. “Four shots of tequila and lime, please…on _his_ tab of course.”

“My name is Duncan by the way,” the teen piped up with a winning smile that had Nico frowning to himself at the fact that he didn’t find it as charming as he should have. Well, that was nothing a few more shots couldn’t solve.

Nico paused at the expectant look on the teen’s face, and he glanced back towards Lady Goddess, who though she had her arms full with the man from earlier, yet was still watching him expectantly as well. He knew she would flip if he gave this boy—this _Duncan_ —his real name. “Jason,” he said as he turned back to the teen, only pausing slightly at the strange sensation the commenced in the pit of his stomach as soon as the name tumbled from his lips.

For some reason, that name felt right on the tip of his tongue, and he felt a strange sense of warmth wash over him, which was an alien feeling for a son of Hades, who was usually used to feeling cool, more often than not. And not only that, but merely speaking that name brought forth the image of those vivid blue eyes that were burned in his memory. _“_ Strange,” he murmured quietly, not realizing he had spoken aloud until he looked up from the bar and at Duncan, who was eyeing him curiously.

He smiled pleasantly, giving his head a small shake in response. “I only meant that it was strange that I haven’t checked out the club here yet. I heard they play some really good music.”

Duncan grinned in a way that he probably thought was rather mischievous, but to Nico, it merely appeared as if he baring his teeth in a rather rude fashion. “After our drinks, maybe we can check it out.”

“Don’t bet on it,” Nico responded with a small smirk, not wanting to put the teen off this early in the game. This boy was vital to his training, and he couldn’t let him get away. Besides, he was receiving free drinks from this boy, which he wouldn’t have traded in for the world at this point in time. At that thought, he immediately recalled the words Lady Goddess had spoken, and he found that it took everything in him not to turn in look in her direction as he replayed the words in his mind over and over again.

_And after you take what you need from them, you crush them, because all they were was pawns in the first place. A stepping stone for you to get ahead._

With a slight twinge of irritation, Nico noticed that Duncan was opening his mouth, probably ready to quip back from Nico’s previous words. But before he could get a sound out, the bartender gently—though it looked like she would have rather slammed it down—set their drinks before them before turning to take the order from another customer. Nico grinned as he reached for the drinks, evenly dividing them between him and the teen beside him before taking one in his grasp.

“Doesn’t this stuff burn?” Duncan questioned skeptically, and at this point, Nico was much too delighted as he stared down at his drink with adoration to even fathom being irritated with the mortal beside him.

Instead, he merely gave his shoulders a small shrug before he turned his own charming grin on the boy, bringing his small glass up to his lips. “Yes, but where’s the fun in that if it doesn’t?”

The corners of the teen’s lips quirked up in response to his own smile, though he eventually shifted his gaze back from Nico and to the drink in his hands unsurely. “Does it burn terribly?”

“Just throw it back and you should be alright.” And with that, Nico took his own advice, relishing in the burn that sent shivers down his back and caused him to plaster a grin on his face.

He ignored the feel of Lady Goddess’s eyes on him, knowing that if she wasn’t occupied the mortal man, she would have rushed over and snatched the drink from his hands with a rather _uncivilized_ growl, as she liked to put it. But at this point in time, she was unable to do a thing but stand aside and watch as he threw back shot after shot, and slurping down drink after drink. Besides, she didn’t want to ruin his training, now did she?

By the time Nico had lost track of how many drinks he had downed, he was leaning against Duncan, reaching up to poke any part of his face that he could reach, and going into a fit of giggles whenever the teen would scrunch up his face teasingly for his own amusement. See, dealing with Duncan drunk made him _much_ more tolerable than dealing with him sober.

“Jason, what are you doing?” Duncan questioned with a grin of his own, his eyes hazed blearily as he surveyed the younger teen bopping around in his seat after he had pulled himself upright with a small struggle.

For a moment, Nico didn’t acknowledge the teen, nearly having forgotten the name he had chosen to use as his own for the evening. But when he noticed the teen smiling expectantly at him, he slowly, yet surely, pulled a response from his drunken mind. “I’m dancing!”

For some reason, Duncan seemed to find that terribly amusing as he doubled over in his own fit of laughter, missing the way Nico’s arm darted out to snatch up his forgotten glass of wine, and chugging down as quickly as possible before the teen looked up again. But apparently, he hadn’t been as fast as he thought, between struggling to swallow down the drink quickly, and not get a droplet on his clothing, still feeling the weight of Lady Goddess’s stare behind him. “Hey! That was mine,” Duncan admonished, reaching out to take the quarter full glass away from the boy who was still attempting to down it despite the fact that he had already been found out.

When he was done, he handed the drink back to the frowning teen, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before he gave the teen his own innocent pout. “You weren’t drinking it; I was just trying to help so we could go to the club faster.”

Duncan’s eyes seemed to brighten at that, and with as much grace as he could muster in his state, stood from his chair, attempting to drag Nico along with him. “Let’s go then.”

“Wait,” Nico protested, allowing himself to be pulled from his seat before he reached into his pocket, pulling out a wad of cash, and not bothering to count it out as he slapped it down on the bar with a grin at the bartender. “Thanks for all the yummy drinks, lady.”

He turned his back at the woman’s appalled gaze at the amount of money she had been tipped with, giving into Duncan’s insistent tugs and murmurs and following behind him as he was pulled from the bar, and towards the exit of the casino.

Nico could sense Lady Goddess’s presence not far behind him as he and Duncan continued to the club, the pulsing music reaching his ears and causing a goofy grin to stretch over his features that the male mortal responded with a smile of his own as Nico began bobbing his head in tune with the music. Now, on a normal day, Nico would completely and utterly abhor the mere thought of going to a club, and dancing, because after all, he was one of the worst dancers the world had seen in his own opinion. But this was not a regular day, and besides, when he was…a little less than sober, he found himself to be the best dancer in the club, if not the whole world.

Before he knew it, he found himself within the club, having been too absorbed in the minute bobs of his head and the slight swaying of his head to pay any mind to the bouncers who had demanded ID upon seeing them both. Faintly, as he entered the club, he recalled Lady Goddess chiming in behind them, and sweet talking the bouncers into letting them in. Hell, for all he knew, she could have been influencing them, or merely contorting the Mist. But at this point, he really didn’t care as the full blast of the music thrummed in his ears, slowly yet surely morphing the steady bob of his head into a full out head toss as moved to the dance floor, not realizing that he was dragging Duncan along with him.

His hips swayed to the beat of the music, his arms moving by his sides as he let his eyes fall shut, a smile still in place on his lips as he heard Lady Goddess’s delighted laughter, probably upon seeing her young, ridged apprentice shedding his distant façade and losing himself to the beat of the music. When he opened his eyes, mere minutes later after the song had changed; his gaze fell onto Lady Goddess, who was moving in perfect time to the beat of the music, her curvy hips swaying slowly, erotically, despite the quick tempo of the song. And even from a distance, Nico noticed the taunting look on her face as she gazed at the man from earlier—her _prey_ —staying just within his reach, yet gracefully shifting away when he attempted to make a grab at her.

It was all a game to her, a game of cat and mouse. And though it appeared that she was the mouse, and the mortal man was the cat merely biding his time for when he could strike, Nico knew that wasn’t the case. It was the _man_ , the foolish, naïve man who had yet to realize what a deviant game he was playing with the goddess, or the fact that despite knowing her for a mere few hours, he was wrapped right around her thumb. _She_ was the cat, and she was biding her time, toying, and playing with her food until she grew bored of the game. And when that moment arrived, she would strike, and the man would wish he hadn’t begun the game at all.

Nico found himself shuddering at the twisted nature of it all, and at the fact that _he_ , would eventually be playing that game with his own mouse, except he would be expected to not only strike, but to kill.

Before he could think more on the topic, Duncan pushed his way through the throngs of people before Nico, their skin slick with sweat as they moved to the beat of the music, all in their own ways—no two dancers moving alike. When Nico’s eyes fell to Duncan’s hands, his smile brightened, and despite the loud music, he picked up on the charming way Duncan laughed, handing the content of his hands—yet another shot of tequila—to the demigod before him. “I thought you needed a refill!” he said loudly after he leaned in closer to the younger teen, in order for himself to be heard more clearly.

Nico merely nodded his head, his sense momentarily picking up on Duncan’s quite crisp, expensive smelling cologne rather than the heavy, musky smell of sweat that clung to the room. He found that he didn’t quite hate the smell, though it was not one the he would allow himself to get used to. After all, he was simply using this boy; he was nothing but a pawn to further him along in his training.

Nico found himself nodding dismissively at something the boy had said, his attention at the moment dedicated to staying upright on his feet as people not only pushed past him, but danced around him, disorienting him in his drunken state. He looked up when the mortal teen took his hand with a large grin which caused Nico’s brows to furrow in return as he was led to a lightly vacated area of the club, drink in hand as Duncan turned sharply, pushing him up against the wall with a predatory grin. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this since I first saw you at the bar,” he purred, and Nico scrunched up his nose with confusion, as Duncan continued to move forward, until he was nearly in his breathing space. “You played hard to get at first, but eventually, you caved, I knew you would. I mean, usually it takes a shorter amount of time for me to get a simple kiss out of someone, but with you—.”

“A _kiss_?” Nico squinted at the mortal, cutting across him as he slowly lifted his drink to his lips, discreetly fitting his arm between them, finding that the space between them had been eaten away by the mortal’s slightly larger form.

Duncan paused, pursing his lips as he nodding his head eagerly, his fringe bobbing on his head in a rather unattractive manner as Nico sipped at his drink silently, actively trying to sober himself up. Yeah, so, he was a walking contradiction, drinking more alcohol to sober himself up was foolish, but he found that at the moment he didn’t care, simply focused on the words Duncan was speaking. “Yeah…a kiss. You just said I could kiss you a few moments ago.”

He finished his statement with a delighted laugh, but Nico could heat the underlying nerves within the hearty sound. A kiss? Gods, what could it hurt. Lady Goddess had mentioned something about sex appeal, innocence, yada, yada, so didn’t that meant he was free to lock lips with this stranger? It was for furthering his training after all, nothing more.

With  a dutiful nod, he took one last gulp of his drink, turning and breaking Duncan’s gaze as he set the glass aside, turning back to look at the male with a small, coy—or at least what he _hoped_ was coy—curl of his lips, an insistent hand reaching out and snagging the teen’s dress shirt. Duncan grunted at the unexpected proximity, his warm breath causing Nico’s heat reddened skin to become slightly darker. But where Nico had expected to become shy, and lock up, the mortal teen surprised him by placing his hands on Nico’s waist, holding him in placed as he continued the move forward, that Nico had forgotten in his surprise, their lips mere inches apart. In the back of his drunken mind, Nico knew exactly what it was Duncan was planning to do, exactly what he _expected_ him to do—gods, he couldn’t have been that drunk enough to forget his own plans, his own training. But at this point, he began to second guess his decision, as those lips brushed over his lightly, creating a tickling sensation on his skin and nothing more. Absently, he found himself comparing it to the touches he had received from the man in his dreams. He closed his eyes, ignoring Duncan’s murmur of approval as be began to truly compare the touches from these two men.

While Duncan’s touch was most certainly experienced, he found it didn’t quite do much for him, at least nothing that he hadn’t expected his body to react to, from the flush on his skin, to the soft him his gave as the teen nipped at his lower lip in a teasing manner that he probably thought was excruciating, and would most certainly push Nico to his limits. There _was_ no comparison between this man’s touches, and the others. Duncan wasn’t even in the same league with this mystery guy.

So why was he wasting his time doing this then?

He was simply attracted to Duncan on a physical level, and not a very high one at that. Sure, the teen was rather attractive, but he wasn’t really doing much for him. Not the way the guy in his dream had. From the way he had put his sense on overload to the way the sound of his voice made something tighten in the pit of Nico’s stomach, something he had never remembered feeling before. Nico barely stopped himself from breathing out a soft, heady sound and the memories of those hands on his form, mapping his body so expertly that it had taken his breath away. But the real clincher was the fact that he knew that those hands were inexperienced, from the barely there tremble in his fingers as they skated over his skin.

He bit down on his lower lip, and truly electrifying sensation commencing on his body, but immediately cutting off as Duncan chuckled huskily, his warm breathing skimming over his visage as he continued to brush his lips lightly on Nico’s. Nico snorted inwardly. This teen truly believed he was something special, something untouchable, and someone that had _kindly_ graced Nico with his presence for the evening.

But he was so very wrong, as he had yet to realize.

Nico called up the basis of Lady Goddess’s words, fighting a smirk that threatened to inch up on his features. According to Lady Goddess, it was _he_ that had graced this guy with his presence, _he_ who was the special one, the important one. For gods’ sake, he was Lady Goddess’s symbol, someone he had picked over hundreds and hundreds of demigods. Duncan wasn’t even blip on his map, merely someone who he had run across. Someone who had been at the wrong place that the wrong time. He knew he would have to use him, and his regret at having to do so slowly fade as the apprehensive façade Duncan had put forth began to slip, and his arrogance began to show through. It wasn’t as if he regained his confidence from earlier, no, it was simply that he wasn’t the type of person he had presented him as, most certainly not with the vulgar words he was whispering in Nico’s ear. No, that slightly nervous, sweet natured guy had left—or never existed in the first place—leaving a more haughty, supercilious one in his place.

But he had to do this, not matter how much he didn’t wish to.

Though he wouldn’t merely do this for his training, no. Truly, he truly didn’t care at that point. He would take any distraction he could get, from the task looming over his head, to the worry he was feeling for Lady Goddess. Though he struggled not to show it, he was troubled. By the task he had to complete sooner than later, by the way Lady Goddess was rapidly changing before his very eyes, and by the way that those stunning blue eyes seemed to pop into his head at the most ill-timed moments. No, at this point he would simply allow himself to let go, he wouldn’t worry right now, but at the same time, he would be hitting two birds with one stone; furthering his training, while simultaneously distracting himself. And that was why when Duncan finally pressed his lips against his, he merely pushed forward for more, his heavy limbs languidly moving to wrap around the teen’s neck as he carefully attempted to slow his racing mind.

As he moved his lips against the older teen’s, he felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach, causing it to roil in a way that was most unpleasurable. He tried to ignore the feeling of guilt that was rising within him, causing a sour taste to fill the back of his throat as he pushed himself closer to the mortal teen who he barely knew anything about, attempting to ignore the worsening sensation. But when Duncan attempted to deepen the kiss, something Nico believed he was wholeheartedly ready for, despite the fact that the mortal boy was most certainly not an extraordinary kisser, an image that had been plaguing his mind for days now surged forward, and he broke the mediocre kiss with a gasp, those eyes shining brightly behind his lids even when he merely blinked.

And then he heard the voice. That damned voice that plagued him every moment since he had opened his eyes from his sleep, and caused an ache in his chest, though he had no idea why. He wanted to forget those eyes, to forget that _voice_ , because it was nothing but a distraction. For gods’ sakes he didn’t even know whose eyes they belonged to, and yet he still felt as if he were betraying them.

Nico was dragged from his thoughts as he felt Duncan’s lips dragging across his jawline, faintly picking up on a deep, rumbling sound from the older teen despite the thumping music still going on around them. “Yes,” Duncan hissed huskily, his words coming out rather strange and he pressed Nico further against the wall. “I’m going to take you up to my room and fuck you so hard, baby.”

An unpleasurable tingling sensation erupted all over Nico’s body at that, and he felt himself go rigid in the confines of the mortal’s arms, unconsciously pressing himself further into the wall, trying to put as much distance between he and the man before him. Sex? _That_ was what he wanted? A moment later, he snorted to himself, his eyes downcast as he carefully slid his arms from around the male’s neck, his hands balling into fists at his side as he struggled to keep his breathing normal. Of course he wanted sex, what else did a random stranger approaching him and buying him endless drinks?

“You want that, don’t you, Jason?”

Nico found himself shuddering at words that seemed to roll like oil over his skin; slick, grimy, and overall not a pleasurable sensation. Inwardly, he praised himself for the way he withheld a quite obvious flinch, that more than likely would have wracked his frame in a way that was much more than noticeable. No, he didn’t want that. And he most certainly wished that Duncan would quit calling him that, would quit saying that name that had randomly come to him at the bar. That name sounded wrong coming from his lips, made his head throb as his mind raced to place that name, and why he felt such an empty sensation in it when he thought of the name.

“Jason, baby?”

He couldn’t withhold the flinch that time though, or the way that his hands shot out when Duncan attempted to close the small distance between them once more. His fingers were trembling as he inadvertently clenched his fingers in the fabric of the male’s dress shirt, before he gave him a light shove, his breath coming out much more raggedly when those blue eyes fought their way to the forefront once again, not for the first time that day, that voice ringing in his ears so loudly, he winced as it drowned out the pulsing music around him.

_Come back to me Nico._

Shame washed over him at the mental sound of the deep baritone of the voice. What was he doing here, with someone like this who he barely knew a thing about, besides his name? And what was he doing this—stripping away his morals—for exactly? In order to kill someone he hated more than he despised the people back at camp who stared at him as if he didn’t belong there, the people _everywhere_ who watched him with suspicious eyes. _But Lady Goddess care for you, she’s helping you, doing this for you. It’s an honor to be trained by her._

But how much longer would it remain an honor in his eyes? How much longer until she lost complete control of her temperament? How much longer until Nico was stripped of everything that made him himself?

“Jason?”

Nico’s eyes flew open, eyes that he didn’t remember closing, and he saw Duncan take a cautious step towards him. “Don’t touch me,” he hissed out, barely sure that the mortal male heard him. But at this point in time, he didn’t care. He didn’t know this man, didn’t owe him anything, much less an explanation of his actions.

And that was why he turned and walked straight past him without another word, shaking off the hands that attempting to hold onto him, to keep him there in order to lose yet another little piece of him. But he wouldn’t allow it, wouldn’t allow himself to become emptier than he already felt in that moment. He wouldn’t allow anyone to strip away yet another piece of him in that moment, not even Lady Goddess. He would continue with his training, just not right now, not when he felt as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

He pushed past her emotionlessly when she attempted to put herself in his path, blocked her from his mind when she attempted to force her way into his mind. He walked out of the club, walked past the casino, and walked out of the resort altogether, and didn’t stop until he felt as if he would breathe normally again, sliding down the outer wall of the extravagant building, ignorant of the way his clothing scraped against the exterior, of the way the texture of the building captured a few strands of his hair in his movement. He curled in on himself, his arms like chains around his legs, pulling them closer and closer, even after his muscles screamed in protest. He settled his head atop his knees, his vision growing blurry as he stared of into the distance, at the bright city lights that surrounded him.

He let the tone of that voice soothe his errant emotions, the remembrance of those fingers against his skin soothe his aching muscles, and he let those sparkling blue eyes soothe his pounding heart, his shame slowly being washed away as that voice spoke words that he repeated in his head over and over, and he felt tears of relief prickling in his eyes, tears that he wouldn’t permit to fall, despite the way he wet his lashes in anticipation for their fall that they would never have.

_I’ve got you._

And although he found himself unable to trust anyone, much less the words they spoke, he believed those words, with all his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie dokie, so, this chapter was not quite as long as previous chapter have been, being that it's a few words or so shy of 10,000. But tell me what you think about it, I'd truly love to know. [ :  
> Alright, thank you all for reading, it means a lot, a lot. <3
> 
> \- Oh yes, and in regards to the question as asked a little while ago about the length of the chapters and the time frames in which they should be posted, I've decided to kind of take my own route with things, seeing as one, sometimes it seems like I am physically unable to write short chapters. Like I'll sit down, and the plan will be about 4,000 words or so, but even when I hit that stretch, I'm like, "You can write just a little bit moooore." And that, ladies and gentleman, is how I end up with chapters that are 10,000 plus words. Because of my wonderful self control. ^-^  
> So, the plan is, I'll probably continue to push out chapters at random, but within a shorter time period as I had done at the beginning of this fic. My best work is done when I'm motivated, or inspired to write, so I'll try and get into the zone.  
> Again, thank you all for reading! [ :


	28. I Gotta Have You Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He would find Nico, no matter the cost."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. Gals. Please don't hate me.  
> HELLO. It's been a fucking while since I've last posted a chapter, and the only person I can really blame that on is myself and my stupid life difficulties. Between summer work for school, spending more time than I would personally like at the DMV, and drinking more coffee than is probably healthy (I just might be addicted, but it's so sweet and good, I can't help myself) my stupid ass wrist, yes, the same one that had been sprained, decided to have some more complications.
> 
> So as I tried to finish this chapter that I had a little more than halfway finished, I alternated between clutching at my wrist, and cursing at it with all I had in me, and kissing more poor little boo boo and cradling the thing all super daintily.  
> Turns out I have a stupid ganglion cyst on my freaking wrist, and if you don't know what it is, I don't suggest you look up pictures of it, because I nearly had my face in a permanent state of disgust from looking up how they appear on other people. Not pretty.  
> Anyway, according to my lovely, oh-so useless doctor--yet lovely because he still gives me candy at my appointments--I have to wait for this thing to go away. So not only was my time wasted sitting in the doctors office for an hour or two, listening to my mother worry for my life, BUT, I can only sit here cry over my poor little wrist as I wait for this crap to go away.  
> Simply amazing.
> 
> Enough with my ranting, and my little impromptu pity party. I'm glad I could finally get this chapter out!  
> Secretly, I had been planning to post this chapter on the one-year anniversary of the story, and it was going to be 12k+ words, but that plan kinda feel through when crap got in the way, sigh.
> 
> On a more serious and sentimental note, I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me through this story, and gave me advice on not only how to make the story better, but to be a better author. Thank you to all of you who have been reading since day one that I very nervously posted the first chapter to this story, and thank you to all of you have have recently taken interest in my story, and thank you to those in between as well. There are some things I would do over in past chapters if I could, but there's no use crying over spilled milk, and I can learn from the mistakes in order to create even better stories than this one (I hope). Lastly, thanks to all of you who have been leaving kudos, comments, bookmarks, subscribing to the story, etc, and even simply reading it; it means a hell of a lot. [ :
> 
> Alright, as you all know, and are probably sick of me pointing out, praise for the story is loved, suggestions are appreciated, criticism is welcome. Thanks lovelies. ;*  
> *The title of this chapter is once again a lyric from the song "Nikki", by Logic. All credit to him and such.*  
> Enjoy yourselves. [ ;  
> (This little note was pretty damn long, I just realized. o-o)  
> And before I forget, THIS CHAPTER IS NOT BETAED (BETA-D?).  
> I didn't want to have to wait any longer to get this chapter out, so I'll probably end up looking back over the story and correcting my mistakes.  
> Another thing, I took out the little POV things, because at this point, I feel like they're pretty unnecessary, seeing as they were simply things I was used to putting in my previous fics. I'll probably go back and change them in the previous chapters a little later on.  
> Thanks darlings.

 “Wait,” Percy cut across, holding his hands up as a bewildered expression made itself at home on his features, his sea green eyes widening almost comically as he gave his head a small shake, as if attempting to wake himself from what had to be a bad dream. But even his own sleeping mind couldn’t conjure something like the emotionless smile on Hades’ face, not unless this was one of the dreams that came with being a demigod. “Come again?”

Hades stared down at him silently for a moment before he features worked themselves into a slow, disgusted sneer, his eyes roaming up and down his form condescendingly. “What my son was thinking when he allowed you to bed him, I will never know,” the god of the underworld grumbled irritably, and his gaze flickered over to the son of Jupiter, who had stiffened as a result of the words Hades had spoken, his previously tensed body tightening further as if ready to spring on an unknown enemy.

And who knew, maybe that unknown enemy was Percy himself. He had caught the blonde fighting to keep his hands down and unclenched by his sides, to keep his expression void of the vitriol Percy knew he had to feel for him.

But at the current moment, Percy couldn’t help but roll his eyes as Hades eyed Jason critically for a moment, more than likely attempting to intimidate him with nothing more than the darkness of his eyes. But to his credit, Jason did no more than meet his gaze, not challengingly of course, but in a way let the lord of the underworld know that he wouldn’t back down as easily as he hoped. “Okay, I’m sorry to interrupt the staring competition, but did you say two weeks?” he blurted out when he could no longer help himself, his hand dipping into his pocket to finger Riptide unsurely for a moment before Hades’ gaze fell back on him, a single, dark brow arching at the astonished tone of his words. Who could blame him for interrupting the silence anyway? He was ADHD after all, it wasn’t as if he could stand by idly forever.

“Yes, I do believe I said two weeks, Jackson.”

Percy waved his hands silently for a moment, ignoring the amused snort that the General gave at the way his mouth worked silently for a moment or two, his eyes so wide he was sure the look on his face was nearly comical. But he wasn’t laughing right now, neither was the solemn blonde demigod next to him. “You’re…you’re giving us two weeks, to find Nico, who could be _anywhere_ in the world at this moment. Only _two_ weeks?”

“Yes.”

Percy shoved his hands into his hair as he felt a sense of hopelessness begin to build within him, a sour taste building in the back of his throat. “We’re screwed,” he said breathlessly, _hollowly_ , after a few moments of silence in which he could feel sets of eyes on him. “We are so screwed.”

He turned to Jason with wide eyes, noting the way that the blonde fought to keep his features impassive, though his sky blue eyes sharpened, his lips, which had thinned into a severe line when Percy had turned to him, worked quietly for a moment before he finally gave his head a single acknowledging nod, that Percy hadn’t even expected him to give. “And how do you figure that much?”

He blinked wordlessly for a moment, still getting over his initial surprise of not simply being disregarded as he had expected the blonde to do once again. He cleared his throat after a moment, shaking his head once again to clear it of the puzzled haze that had settled there before he spoke, attempting to keep his voice as calm and reasonable as possible despite the hopelessness that continued to rise within him. “Okay, I’m not trying to be a Debby Downer, but how are two half-bloods—?”

“Three,” Hades cut across impassively, his forearm rising from the arm of his throne as he examined his nails as well as the jewelry adorning his fingers with a nonchalance that Percy found rather irritating, given that it was _his_ son’s disappearance they were discussing.

The eyes in the room shifted to the ruler of the underworld, who continued to observe his nails as if he didn’t have a care in the world before he began absently swirling that identical skull ring to Nico’s around his finger, his features losing the air of amusement he had worn mere moments ago. That was until Persephone scowled, snagging his hand and placing it back against the arm of the throne, snapping him from what seemed to be a thoughtful reverie and ignoring the look of irritation she received for doing so.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Percy spoke out cautiously when it became apparent that no one else would voice the question he knew they all—or at least Jason—was thinking. “Three, what exactly?”

“I do believe that your quests calls for three participants, does it not?” Hades answered when finally stopped glaring at his wife, who merely continued to ignore the unheated gaze, her fingers twitching ever so slightly as she worked to entwine her throne in a deep green vine that bore the luminescence that the wildlife in her garden had adorned as well.

Percy barely refrained from throwing his hands up in agitation at that, the hope that had began to rise within him squashed once again. “Three. Yes, of course, how could I forget? Three half-bloods, because one more person will help us _immensely_ , thanks for the reminder you—.”

“Percy,” Jason cut across him sharply, his eyes hard as stone as his fingers twitched restlessly along his crossed arms.

“What?” he snapped in return and he knew he sounded shrill, sounded as if he were on the verge of losing it in that very moment. “You know I’m right, don’t deny it.”

“I was never going to—.”

“Yeah, whatever. You’ll say anything anyone wants just to be looked at in a positive light, that’s what being the Golden Boy is all about—.”

Jason cut him off with a dark glare, and Percy’s words died in his throat at the sight of those brightened cerulean eyes, and he swallowed down the words that were frantic to claw their way out of his throat. He blinked, inhaling roughly through his nose as he attempted to find a semblance of calm in light of his outburst. He knew he was being unreasonably ridiculous. But in that moment, he felt as if he couldn’t have helped himself even if he had tried. He was frustrated, frustrated with himself for not being able to remain as calm and stoic as the son of Jupiter beside, for the sense of helplessness that was burning in the back of his throat, mentally whispering for him to give up before he had even got the chance to start. But most of all he couldn’t help but feel as deep sense of frustration that bordered guilt at the thought that he may have been the reason that Nico had gone missing.

Despite the events that the teen had gone through in his life, Nico was in no way weak; he was a son of the Big Three after all. So how was it that he was able to be taken so easily from the camp without so much as a sound or a trace?

Percy was almost positive that it had something to do with the events that had occurred the day of the teen’s disappearance. It was the same say that he and Nico had been confronted by Annabeth on their secret _affair_. That had to be the reason the son of Hades had been so vulnerable to an attack, more than likely so distant, so deep in despair that he was unable to pull himself from his reverie in time to fight back. He keep seeing that face, the way it had crumbled when he spoke that words that had sent the half-blood flying from his cabin.

 _“It didn’t_   _mean_   _anything, Annabeth. It was…it was just a fuck.”_

He winced as he remembered the way Nico had physically recoiled away from his words, but he had barreled on insensitively, only caring that he got his point across to the daughter of Athena who had been staring at him with so much accusation his chest had burned.

_“It didn’t mean anything, did it? Tell her that it didn’t, that it was just a fuck to you as much as it was to me.”_

But as he had learned that day, it wasn’t simply _a fuck_ , as he had so eloquently put it. Unwittingly, he had been toying with the younger demigod’s emotions, stringing him along only to cut him off when it was convenient for him, yet oh-so ready to tie him back up when he felt like it. He had _used_ him, the way Nico had accused him of doing. At the time, he had believed that they were both using each other, after all, wasn’t that what emotionless sex was? Had he been right to think of it as an escape from the world, from the thoughts plaguing your mind, from the events of the day? As an interaction where both parties used one another for their own reasons? But Nico hadn’t been using him. Nico had been unable to resist him, because he was in love with him, because unbeknownst to him, the son of Hades had been hoping for something more than sex, for a relationship.

Ultimately, _he_ was the reason Nico had been snatched from beneath their very noses. He was sure of it. But despite that, he wouldn’t let anyone know, especially not the god of the underworld who was glaring down at him rather darkly in that very moment for his explosion.

“Two weeks is enough,” Jason stated resolutely, his chin lifting a notched as he turned those bright blue eyes on him, and Percy barely had enough time to stop his jaw from unhinging itself with shock. “And three half-bloods will be enough as well.”

He shook his head wildly, his shock not allowing him more than the simple movement. How could Jason just accept it, and be _okay_ with their predicament? “H-How…It’s not enough—.”

“It is enough. It’s all the time that we have, don’t you get that? If I could find Nico today, I would. Two weeks is more than enough. Anymore time than that and…and Nico could be done for.”

Percy didn’t miss the way Jason’s voice had cracked on those last words, hadn’t missed the way Persephone’s eyes had flickered to the son of Jupiter thoughtfully, those vines that had continuously twining themselves around her throne pausing. And he most certainly hadn’t missed the way Hades’ eyes had sharpened with grudging…was that _appreciation_?

“The son of Ze— _Jupiter_ is correct,” Hades grumbled out begrudgingly though his features remained smooth and evened out. But before the god could open his mouth, more than likely to contradict his complimentary words with an insult, his features twisted, and a sharp his left his clenched lips before his form flickered in a rather volatile manner. Percy couldn’t help the way his eyes widened as he caught a quick glimpse of the man in place of the Lord of the Underworld. Well, that wasn’t quite fair considering they were _both_ the Lords of the Underworld.

While the men were different, they were very much the same as well. Instead of the harsh look of cold complacency Hades always wore, this man— _Pluto_ —looked much more solemn, though no less powerful if not a little bit more professional looking than Hades. But between the two men, one would still be able to notice that they had the same features, despite the way they twisted. All in all though, Nico still looked like his father, a thought that Percy couldn’t stop from surging into his mind despite the situation.

All the while, Persephone looked on with concern, her hand clenching on top of her husband’s as the appearance of the throne room began to flicker around them as well. Even the General didn’t seem to be spared, his own form flashing, and Percy swore he spotted Roman garb on the dead, yet _un_ dead man as his jaw clenched inconspicuously. “Hades, control yourself,” Persephone breathed out soothingly, carefully interlocking their fingers together despite the audience they had before them, her brow knotted with concern.

Unwittingly, he felt his chest clench as a brief memory of him and Annabeth much in the same position flashed through his mind. It had been one of the few times that he had convinced her to break the camp rules and spend the night in his cabin, recently after the Giant War had ended, a time where he had never felt so desperate for her company before.

_His chest was rising and falling rapidly with the sharp intakes of breath he was taking, his eyes wide and his heart throwing itself harshly against his ribcage as he clenched his hands in his bedding. Quickly, he closed his eyes, allowing his mouth to fall shut as he attempted to force slow breaths through his nostrils, only succeeding in a suffocated feeling rising in his throat as the sound of his own of his own labored breathing reached his ears. His eyes flew open as the images that had been plaguing his dreams flashed beneath his lids._

_“Perce?”_

_He flinched unwittingly at the sound of that voice, the same voice that had moments ago been screaming in agony in his dreams. He cleared his throat, striving for an upbeat tone as he turned to look face the daughter of Athena laying peacefully in his bed beside him, her blonde hair unruly and splayed out in a disordered state he found to be rather endearing despite the fear coursing through his veins. “Y-Yeah, what’s up Wise Girl?”_

_He winced at the coarse sound of his own voice, loathing the way it scratched against his throat unevenly, revealing the weakness he had so desperately wanted to hide away. Annabeth studied his features silently, her stormy gray eyes visible in the faint light that radiated from his fountain a small distance away from his bunk. Those eyes he had come to know so well studied him, roving over his form and pausing over his flushed features, taking in the way his lips were parted in order to let out the ragged breaths that had been forcing their way past his lips. “You had a nightmare. Again.”_

_Percy couldn’t help but wince at those words, especially the way the girl seemed to pause before she added in the last word. He found himself nodding his head, averting his gaze as the blonde demigod sighed softly, and inwardly, he loathed the pity that was laced in the sound. He should have been over his trauma for the war already. After all, he had been through one when he was much younger and had barely suffered for more than a few weeks afterwards. But now, somehow, this war had affected him much more greatly. Had it been because he was terrifyingly aware of the things that he had stood to lose? His mom, Paul, his friends, Annabeth, and his life. Somehow, this war was different. Yes, he had charged into battle knowing that he may not emerge alive on the other side, but this time around, the thought had been in the forefront of his mind. He not only stood to lose his life, but one of the only homes he had known, as well as the whole Earth itself._

_He had been in so much danger this time around, that he still found himself petrified with fear, images of how the war_ could _have turned out plaguing his dreams, and occasionally, the moments he was awake. Recently, he had begun taking some kind of potion he had begged a few campers of the Hecate cabin to concoct for him, something that would make is so he didn’t require sleep, could go for days without it. The fellow half-bloods had warned that as soon as the potion wore off, he would be more tired than he had ever been before. His solution to that he been to simply ask them to create more for him. At first, they had put up a fuss of course, especially knowing that going without sleep for as long as he had planned could be detrimental to his health. But after a few insistent pleas as well as bribes, they finally gave in, warning him that though the potion would cause him to feel energetic, it was only a façade, that while_ he _wasn’t feeling weary, his body would be, and as a result would be under strain._

 _His plan of going without sleep had worked for quite some time until Annabeth began to notice his haggard appearance despite his uncanny peppiness, and had soon after found out about the potions he had been taking. She had been furious, no_ livid _, that he would risk his health for a couple of days without sleep. Of course, at the time he hadn’t told her about his nightmares. After a rather stern lecture, she had demanded that he stay in bed and sleep for at least two days to regain the energy that his body had lost, pointing out that he would have to take it easy for quite a while as he recovered from his “stupidity” as his girlfriend had so kindly put it. Despite his protests, she had personally seen him off to bed, taking it upon herself to sit at his bedside as he felt into a restless sleep._

_Not even an hour after he had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion after the potion had wore off, he woke from his sleep, drenched in sweat, and his mouth opened in a scream that had fallen short in his throat as his eyes flew open, and as soon as he had found those feather gray eyes hovering over him, he knew that there would be no way to evade the truth this time._

_And since then, Annabeth had seemed to become his personal shrink, urging him to talk about his experiences during both wars and the way certain things had made him feel. All in all, it helped, though it didn’t diminish the amount of nightmares he had been having as quickly as he would have liked._

_Despite the fact that he seemed so willing to allow the female demigod to help him through his struggles, he couldn’t quite say he was at all pleased with it. He was a son of the Big Three, he was supposed to exude strength, and yet here he was quivering beneath his covers like a child afraid of the monster in their closet. Except his monster was his fear, and it was very much real, so much so that he felt as if it was beginning to consume him. But he couldn’t allow it. He had been through so many battles in his life, and yet here he was losing a battle to an impalpable foe. Annabeth had told him that he was being too hard on himself, that people who had gone through things less traumatizing than him had irrational fears such as his for up to a year, that he was making great progress. But he could call it for what it was. He was fucking pathetic. Letting himself be coddled by someone who had gone through the same thing as him, and yet stood there whole and healthy, not letting past events or fears rule her. Hell, they had both gone through Tartarus together, a place that outdid any nightmares one could have, and yet Annabeth seemed to come out untouched. He knew that wasn’t quite the case though, that the daughter of Athena had been dealing with the events of the past months or so in her own way. But he couldn’t help but envy her strength, and even be the smallest bit irritated that he wasn’t living up to the expectations that a child of the Big Three should exceed._

_Here was Thalia, lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis, and making her own name as a child of Zeus. And then there was her brother, Jason, who not only was one of the most friendly people Percy had met, but strongest as well, as his past had proved, and here he was taking on the task of honoring all the minor gods and goddesses he could. Then there was Nico, who served as the ambassador of the underworld, and Hazel who was now a centurion at Camp Jupiter. Even Tyson was getting along better than he, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was a joke not only in his own eyes but in the eyes of others._

_He had presumed that he would walk out of this war unscathed, and yet he had been oh-so wrong. He was stupid to think that he would remain whole, or even partially untouched through the war. In the back of his mind he had known that he might not come out on the other side the same, but he hadn’t bet on the war breaking him, and shattering him to pieces. Pieces that he wasn’t sure where to begin at putting them back together again._

_And that was how Annabeth had found her way into his bed, and into his cabin, after his nightmares had taken a turn for the worst despite all the help that she was trying to offer him. He could tell that she was scared for him, could see through her eyes just how he may have looked; haggard and exhausted, flinching at even the most muffled of noises._

_“Percy,” she murmured insistently when she had undoubtedly sensed the way he going to shut down, was going to close her out. “It was the same nightmare, wasn’t it?”_

_“I wish you would quit calling it a nightmare,” he snapped, his sleep depravity getting the best of him at the moment. “You make me sound like a helpless child.”_

_To her credit, Annabeth hadn’t even batted so much as a lash at his cold words and vitriol behind them. Carefully, she reached for his hand, making her movements slow and calculated so that Percy would know her motives. He forced a scowl onto his features when her fingertips finally ghosted over the back of his hand, his dark brows furrowed severely. “I don’t need to be coddled, I need—.”_

_“To shut up and accept my company,” Annabeth had finished for him, a blonde brow raised expectantly on her forehead as she closed her fingers around his hand. “I know you truly don’t want to be alone, Percy, and I know that if you’re left on your own, you’ll only psych yourself out more.”_

_She pulled on his hand insistently even we he moved to take it back, her eyes imploring him to listen. And he was listening. But who was he to burden her with all of his troubles? Yes, he may have been her boyfriend, but he knew that she could only handle so much of his nonsense._

_And almost as if she were reading his thoughts, Annabeth pressed herself closer to him, their hands clasped together between their chests after the blonde demigod tugged him down, back onto the bed and next to her. “I’m not going anywhere, Perce, so go ahead and get that idea out of your head. I love you, and I’m here for you when you need me, even if you don’t want me here.”_

_He let out a sharp breath, the pressure that he hadn’t noticed weighing down his chest relieving some as he allowed his eyes to fall shut. “That’s an awfully serious promise to make, Wise Girl, you sure you can keep it?”_

_Annabeth huffed out a relieved breath against his skin, and he knew that if he opened his eyes, he would be looking down into his girlfriend’s smiling features. “If I said it, I meant it. I’m here to stay.”_

_And he believed her._

~*~

Jason eyed the god of the underworld carefully as his wife continued to murmur inaudibly to him, barely sparing their audience a glance as Hades struggled to get a hold of himself, his features marred with a concentrated scowl as his form began to flicker less noticeably now. With a small frown, he turned to look at his fellow half-blood, to see if he was just as perplexed as he was, but upon turning to the son of Poseidon, he found that the demigod’s sea green eyes had a faraway look in them as he gazed blankly at the two immortals before them, his battle-worn fingers idly tracing over his camp beads in a motion Jason hadn’t taken notice of until that moment.

Giving his head a small shake before noting that he might have been the only one with his wits about him, he arched a single, confused brow. “Lord Hades…?” he trailed off cautiously, merely lifting his chin as the lord of the underworld cut him with a sharp, accusatory glare that evidently startled Percy from his dream like state of mind despite the look not being directed at him. “Are you alright?”

The immortal opened his mouth to respond with what seemed to be a scathing comment, but before he could so much as make a sound, Persephone placed a placating hand upon his once again, though she continued to look forward at the half-bloods in her presence. Hades seemed to swallow back his previous words quite reluctantly, but he did so nonetheless, his words tense and practically oozing agitation. “I would be much better if I didn’t have both a Greek and Roman demigod in my presence at once. It quite messes with my godly state, if you were not previously aware of the fact.”

Jason nodded his understanding, while Percy merely snorted shortly. “Well you should have thought about the side-effects before you kidnapped us both.”

Gradually he tuned out as the two bickered back and forth, their scathing words fading into the background as Jason took the moment to process everything that had recently occurred. So, they had two weeks to find Nico. He could work with that, was actually _grateful_ for that seeing as his other quests had been just shy of a week. But Percy was correct in the sense that they had nowhere to begin, unlike previous quests where the words the oracle had spoken had given them some sort of clues as to where they were supposed to begin. At that thought, Jason began grimacing unpleasantly as a certain realization dawned on him in that moment, causing him to tense up as he struggled to keep his features calm and complacent. “Lord Hades, Lady Persephone,” he spoke out suddenly, cutting across the lord of the underworld as he opened his mouth to undoubtedly rudely to something Percy had said. Jason barely refrained from rolling his eyes at that. Between the two of them, you would never be able to take a guess at who the more mature one was out of the duo. Hades might as well have been their age from the way he so easily stooped to their level.

Persephone nodded her head in his direction, her fingers idly playing across the vines she had woven around her throne rather beautifully despite their eerie glow. “Son of Jupiter?”

“I realize we’ve run into a small problem concerning Nico.”

Both Hades and Percy paused in their glaring match to look at Jason with nearly identical frowns. The goddess perked up attentively at the mention of her pseudo-son, and she arched a well groomed brow, the corners of her lips turning down in a small concerned frown as well. “And what might that be, Mr. Grace?”

Jason, who was rather surprised at being addressed so politely by an immortal, refused to allow his shock to put him in a stupor, and he inwardly shook himself free of the relatively pleasant haze her respect caused. “Well, the only way Percy and I will be able to leave camp is if we have a quest from the oracle.”

He shifted his gaze from Persephone and to her husband as he made a sound of disgust, his upper lip curling in a rather offensive manner. While Jason had heard that Hades had had some kind of grudge against the oracle, he had never been interested enough to figure out why exactly, seeing as it dated back quite some years, and it had never been relevant to him until now. Now, thought, he wished that he had so that he didn’t risk offended the lord of the underworld. He was hoping for Elysium after all. “Ah…Lord Hades?”

Persephone’s hand flitted around in a dismissive flourish, her eyes still focused on the two half-bloods standing before her. “Don’t mind him, he—.”

“Fuck!” Percy cursed suddenly, causing all eyes in the room to turn on him curiously. “I mean, dude, you’re right about us not being able to leave or whatever without a quest, but remember? That camp is on lockdown. _No one_ is allowed to leave, especially not you.”

Jason merely frowned in confusion, having forgotten a few things in light of basically being kidnapped and whisked off to the underworld for a hearing before Hades. Such events did have those effects after all. “Me?”

Percy sighed, the sound laced with heavy exhaustion. “The demigod-napper?”

It took a moment, but it suddenly dawned on the blonde, and he ducked his head suddenly, a soft string of curses escaping him. “Exactly,” Percy affirmed dryly, throwing his hands up helplessly. “What are we going to do now?”

Both half-bloods looked up when Persephone cleared her throat pointedly, a small patient smile on her features, opposed to the near scowl on Hades’ features. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, we would both appreciate it if you filled us in.”

Jason blew out a slow breath, attempting to calm his raging his thoughts as well as his anxiously beating heart. “Recently, because of the abductions that have occurred, the camp has been on…well, I don’t think there _is_ a better word than _lockdown_. So, we’ve been on lockdown; no one allowed in or out of the camp until the summer is over, and the threat diminished.”

“The point being,” Percy cut across, cutting Jason an impatient glance as he jabbed a thumb in his direction. “Golden Boy over here wouldn’t be able to get out of camp even if he had a quest. Hell, even if his dad came down in all his ‘king of the gods’ glory and demanded he get his golden ass on Olympus.””

Jason barely refrained from glaring in the son of Poseidon’s direction, though he knew a scowl currently twisted his features as he turned his head ever so slightly, knowing that the half-blood beside him could feel his indignation rolling off him in waves if the irritable flitter of his sea-green eyes were anything to go by.

Jason turning his head forward once more, barely refraining from whipping his head back around as he felt more than saw Hades stiffen in his throne, his hands clenching the arms of the seating severely as his eyes darkened gradually, looking as if they had become small orbs of midnight upon his face. “So,” the lord of the underworld began tensely, and Jason knew that he wouldn’t like what was coming out of his mouth from the glare that was leveled on him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on in though he continued to keep his chin lifted, refusing to back down, even in the face of an immortal. “What you’re telling me is while you, and your _siblings_ remain at camp, sheltered, hidden, and safe from the dangers of the outside, my son was allowed to leave, was allowed to risk his life?”

Before Jason could open his mouth to respond, holding back a wince at the way Hades had spat out the word “siblings” as if it were a bad taste in his mouth, the god was talking again, his voice containing barely restrained fury. “While you, a child of Zeus, and all your other siblings are heavily protected against danger, my offspring is left to his own devices? And here I was under the impression that no one at your little camp received special privileges due to their godly parentage—.”

“If you would allow me to speak, Lord Hades,” Jason cut across, his tone sharp, and a mere smidge away from being snappy as refrained from clenching his fists at his sides, more than offended by what the lord of the underworld was implying. “You were more than correct in assuming that everyone at camp is treated equally—no matter their parentage—but, that’s not the only reason it seems as if I’m being kept away and… _pampered_ , as you so kindly implied.”

Jason saw the second that his words merely enraged an already heated Hades, could discern the way the god’s teeth were clenched behind his lips, but he ploughed again regardless, not giving him the chance to cut in, or to put in his two-cents. “Nico is not the only whose been taken by this… _being_. Children of Apollo from both camps have simply vanished into thin air over the past couple of weeks—.”

Hades grunted in a knowing sort of manner, his eyes twinkling smugly. “That may be so, but that doesn’t explain why _you_ , and son of _Jupiter_ are being so doted over, and so—.”

“My sister was abducted as well.”

Jason forced the words out of his throat, diverting his gaze when the words came out more rough than he would have liked. He blinked quickly for a moment or two, before he cleared his throat, giving his head a small shake as he turned back to face the immortal studying him silently now, his face still hard, and tensed, but Jason barely caught the fact that it wasn’t harsh looking as before, and when he turned to Persephone, his saw that her eyes shone with barely contained sympathy.

He felt a bitter taste rise in the back of his throat, and the way he was _pitied_ for his blatant weakness; at not being strong enough to control his emotions, as well as protect his own sister—his flesh and blood. He didn’t deserve anyone’s pity, least of all his own. If anyone needed to be pitied, it was the ones he had failed, as well as—no, he wouldn’t start with that. He had more important things to worry about right now, such as how to prove himself once again to someone he had failed.

Jason blinked once more, imagining the way the way he must have looked; one moment, he was an open book, with his very thoughts and feelings flitting across his face, and then in the blink of an eye, the emotions were gone, washed clean from his features as if they had never been there in the first place. “And that’s why children of Apollo and Jupiter have had extra precautions taken to keep them safe, seeing as they are the ones being targeted.”

Hades was silent for a few heartbeats, his dark eyes surveying the blonde half-blood who simply stared back stoically, no trace of his earlier reverence and respect in his eyes after he had not only been insulted by the immortal, but reminded of his failure as well. At this point, the only thing he had enough energy for was finding his sister and Nico, and he could no longer afford to waste energy on people—or _gods_ —who only thought the worst of him.

Jason straightened ever so slightly as Hades moved to speak, his raven colored brows arching inquisitively, though the god of the underworld somehow managed to look indifferent simultaneously. “And though you are being targeted, you are willing to risk your safety for my son?”

He couldn’t help the way the corners of his lips quirked up at the slow way Hades spoke, as if he couldn’t believe the truth in the words that were coming out of his mouth in that moment. “Yes,” Jason answered simply, dipping his head in a small nod.

“And you are also willing to risk your place at the camp for the sake of our son— _both_ of you?” Persephone added critically, her eyes scanning he and Percy intensely as she waited for their dual answers.

“Yes.”

Persephone nodded curtly, giving her husband as small glance before she rose from her throne, stepping down the dais gracefully and moving forward until she was stopped before the two half-bloods, her hands folded firmly before her. “Then I’ll give you these for your journey, and in case you are not released from the camp.”

She opened her hands, and within them she held six voluminous dandelions, their plumes a vibrant white color against her skin and the stems a healthy green. Percy was the first to speak, his brows furrowing. “Dandelions?”

Jason watched as Persephone’s lips turned up at the son of Poseidon’s skeptical tone, her expressive eyes twinkling with amusement. “Not just any dandelions. They’ll take you wherever you want to go. Just name it.”

Jason blinked at that, his eyes widened as he eyed the vegetation in the goddess’s hands almost obsessively. “So it could take us to N—.”

“Sadly, no,” Persephone cut in somberly. “It will take you any place you want to go, but it has to be a place that you already know, that’s already in your mind. You have to be specific or else you could end up anywhere, and I mean _anywhere_. For example, if you were to say, ‘take me Athens’, chances are that you would more than likely end up in Athens, _Tennessee_ , the place closest to you and the best guess for the dandelion.”

“Okay, so we have to be specific and all, but how does it work?” Percy questioned, leaning in closer to get a better look at the foliage.

“It’s simple really. You just blow, similarly to how you would when you were a child. You must blow completely on the plumes of the plant if you wish to get to your exact location, or partway if you wish to be in the area of your destination, but not exactly there. Meaning that they can be used four times; twice each, or if you truly need to land exactly where you have asked, once each.”

Jason nodded his understanding, his expression grim as looked back to her face. “I’m assuming the other two dandelions are for the other person who’ll be going with us?”

The goddess nodded, and he looked down at her hands as she went back to studying the two of them. “Do we have to water them and keep them alive and stuff?” Percy wondered aloud, and when Jason turned, the dark-haired demigod’s nose was wrinkled with confusion. “And what if it’s really windy, will all of the… _stuff_ blow away?”

Jason looked back to the goddess at that, finding that he had been thinking along those lines as well as he caught the goddess’s small smirk before she clenched her hands shut in a death grip, his chest tightening along with her movement. Percy sucked in a sharp, astonished breath beside him. “What the he—.”

Before he could finish, Persephone was opening her hands once again, and the dandelions remained, much in the same form they had been in mere moments ago. “Again, these are not just _any_ dandelions. They are uncrushable, unpluckable, and can only be blown by breath from the owner’s lips.”

“That’s…that’s,” Jason breathed out, unable to finish not only due to the incredible abilities of the seemingly simple vegetation, but at that fact that unlike other gods or goddess, Persephone was doing something to kick-start them on their mission, not just leave them in that dark to figure out things for themselves. There was a sense of urgency not only about her, but amidst the room, and within the walls of Hades’ kingdom. They wanted Nico back, and Jason was sure his parents—Persephone included—would go to any length to get him back alive. And the fact that Nico had such a caring family that not only included his parents, but those such as the General as well, truly was—.

“Amazing,” Percy finished in awe, and Jason turned to him as the son of Poseidon dipped his head gratefully, giving Persephone a small smile. “Thanks.”

“I just want to see my son get back to me alive and well,” she replied softly, though her voice rang out strongly throughout the throne room. “You have two weeks to bring our son back, half-bloods. Or my husband’s rage won’t be the only one you have to face.”

Jason felt chills settle over his skin as the goddess nodded towards the general, and he moved forward, standing by their sides, giving his head a small nod in the direction of the exit. Jason swallowed thickly, nodding both to Hades and Persephone before he and Percy turned their backs on the immortals, moving towards the exit.

“Two weeks, demigods. And _don’t_ be late.”

Hades’ voice boomed around them, even as they exited the room, and before the immortals were out of sight, Jason turned, looking over his shoulder just in time to see Hades slump in his throne, his hand gripping Persephone’s as the goddess squeezed her eyes shut stubbornly, her shoulders trembling as she reached up and covered her face with a shaky hand.

And right then, he promised himself that only would he find Nico for himself, but he would find him for his parents as well. No matter the cost.

~*~

Annabeth’s footfalls were the only sounds she could hear as her legs carried her in the direction she wished to go. The sounds of the campers going through their daily activities fell on deaf ears as a single mantra repeated within her mind.

_Stop her, get to her. Stop her, get to her._

She had run all this way from the Big House, just adrenaline kept her from being winded as she turned a sharp corner, nearly ploughing into a group of younger campers. Their yelps of surprise reached her ears, but only for a short enough time for her to be able to breathe out a sharp apology, barely pausing in her movements as she continued onwards.

Her destination was just up ahead, though it seemed as if it were miles away. The torches of the cabin cast shadows in the midevening setting, reminding her just how long Jason had been missing. How long _Percy_ had been missing.

She pushed aside the thought as soon as it popped into her head, her lips thinning into a straight, determined line as she neared the cabin of Hades. This wasn’t about her, it wasn’t about Percy, or her emotions on the twisted little love triangle that she hadn’t even realized she had been in. It wasn’t about the fact that when she had found that Nico truly was missing, that she felt a sick sense of joy wash over her, followed by a smugness that had her stomach roiling as guilt began to wash away those ugly emotions.

There was no excuse for her emotions. Yes, she was still angry at Percy and Nico—who wouldn’t be despite the events that occurred after she found out about their affair. But it was truly _wrong_ that a small part of her wanted Nico to stay lost forever, wanted him to stay wherever he was—be it safe _or_ in danger—so that things would go back to normal. She and Percy would go back to being perfect, Thalia would come by and visit, she would continue crafting with the young son of Hebe and laugh as she watched his older brother blush under Piper’s kind gaze.

Annabeth clenched her fists, biting down harshly on her lower lip at the thoughts racing through her head. But she couldn’t _have_ that. Because even when she had thought things were perfect, they truly weren’t. Percy had been secretly having commitment issues, while Annabeth had stupidly thought that the reason he had begun to distance himself from her, was the nightmares he had used to have simply reforming again.

And another part of her that she found herself nurturing at times, allowing to grow unintentionally hated Percy. It hated him for putting her through the shit that he did, hated him for humiliating her, and hated him for keeping such a secret from her. And most of all, it hated him for lying to her when he had swore that he loved her.

There was another part of her that simply felt dead inside, the part that cried out in pain when she rehashed the confrontation, finding out that Nico and Percy were sleeping together. That same part trembled with hurt as she imagined Percy holding Nico in his arms, whispering to him as he did to her, three sweet words.

 _I love you_.

That same part of her regretted ever putting herself in such a vulnerable position with Percy, letting him in behind that wall that she had so carefully crafted so no one but a select few could truly get in, and get close to her. She had thought that Percy wouldn’t hurt her.

But even children of Athena were wrong sometimes.

Annabeth swallowed back her emotions, mentally shaking herself from the haze of her own pain. This was about Hazel right now. Informing her of what happened as simply as possible before she could make it to Nico’s cabin and find out for herself when she realized her brother wasn’t here. No details, no speculations, and no emotions.

She gripped the knob, brazenly throwing open the door only to pause as she took in the sight of the girl standing within the room. Her golden eyes were scanning the room _intently_ , and though she looked haggard— _exhausted_ —in the face, Annabeth saw the determination in her eyes and knew she had been traveling all night to get to her brother. Not just for a visit, but because she knew something was up.

“So it’s true,” Hazel breathed out, her voice empty of any emotion as she turned, and Annabeth caught sight of the clothing that she gripped in her hands; a black t-shirt that Annabeth was sure she had seen Nico wearing before, the ornate skull staring back at her almost mockingly, reminding her that she didn’t make it in enough time to intercept Nico’s sister, to tell her what had occurred, and explain why she hadn’t been contacted off the bat. She hadn’t been fast enough.

“Hazel—.”

The girl shook her head slowly, and a hand reaching up to slide fingers through her disheveled hair, merely making it stand up even further as her eyes bore into Annabeth’s. “My brother really is missing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okaaaaaay. [ ;  
> Tell me how you feel about this chapter, because I would really like to know.  
> I know it was so much shorter than usual, but again, I just wanted to get it out to you all as quickly as possible.  
> If there are any mistakes that really just irk the heck out of you, let me know, because I'd be glad to fix it before I go through and correct other mistakes.  
> And a quick little impromptu poll: Is anyone planning to read Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard?  
> Merely curious. [ x  
> Anyway, thanks for reading!  
> Love you all. ;*


	29. We Both Know, that it's not Fashionable to Love Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm empty."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiiii guys and gals.  
> It's been way too long since I've last posted, and I'm very, very sorry for that, but life have been super hectic in the last few months. Between school and stuff, I've been getting pretty reckless, because I'm such a freaking daredevil and all (just kidding, I really just do a lot of pretty stupid stuff, heh), but I hurt my wrist once again, and thankfully, it's all healed up! But 2015 had been a real test of my health, from my stupid wrist, to accidentally overdosing on Tums, which I didn't think was possible, I got through the year, and finished up this chapter! ; ]
> 
> I think one of the main reasons it took me so long to update, was that I wasn't quite sure how much, or what content I would be putting into this chapter. I didn't want to overdo it, and I didn't want to underdo it, Hopefully this chapter is a happy medium between the two. :' ]
> 
> Okay, okay, let me just let you all get to the chapter, which has been very long overdue.  
> As you all know, praise is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and criticism is welcome. Enjoy, all you lovely people. ; ]  
> Byyyyyy the waaaaay, this chapter is very much un-betaed, because I wanted to get it out as soon as I finished it, kay, kay, byeeeee. xx  
> **** ~*~ : signifies a change between POVs, ~ : signifies a change in time, POV is the same.
> 
> *The title of this chapter is a lyric from Lana Del Rey's "Honeymoon", all rights and credit to her.

Annabeth exhaled roughly, a strange urge to tug her hair from gradually dampening neck causing her fingers to twitch by her sides as Hazel’s gaze on her grew increasingly heavier and much more suppressing by the second. Her golden hued eyes had gradually hardened until they no longer resembled the enticing, warm, and flowing state that was molten gold, but the heavy, hard, unbreakable, golden brick itself, adding to Annabeth’s discomfort. She felt suffocated under that gaze, her throat working around the lump that had formed there a few moments ago, keeping her from explaining herself, from diffusing the situation before it even had time to begin. Hazel’s gaze _burned_ , and she felt exposed, as if the daughter of Pluto was looking into her very mind and picking out the certain thoughts that she had had about her brother—scathing thoughts that had ran through her head—mere moments ago.

She watched in the stagnant silence that permeated the cabin as Hazel’s hand tightened to a fist around the fabric of her brother’s shirt, the ornate skull disappearing in layer upon layer of wrinkles, and Annabeth felt herself begin to breathe just a little bit easier now that the mocking face had disappeared, and she swallowed carefully, finally shoving herself into action, her mind going a mile a minute as she mulled over how to start the conversation, how to work around Hazel, how to tiptoe around her and gently ease them both into the situation at hand, all in all avoiding setting off the daughter of Pluto, who looked as if she needed only a light tap, and she would go over the edge as if she had been shoved.

“Hazel…”

Annabeth barely withheld a wince as Hazel’s gaze merely sharpened, the corners of her lips tightening and giving the only sign that she was listening. Unable to quite take that as a good sign, or a bad one, Annabeth ploughed ahead, making sure the tone of her voice was soothing, yet not patronizing in any way. She knew Hazel didn’t need to be coddled right now, but that also didn’t mean that she needed to know what had happened in a blunt, detached manner. “You know we never meant to keep you out of the loop for so long. We were going to tell you once we had found a full proof way to get him back again.”

Hazel snorted dubiously, the sound so unbefitting of her that Annabeth’s words died in her mouth for a moment, giving the daughter of Pluto the perfect opportunity to put forth her two cents. Annabeth steeled herself as Hazel’s mouth opened. “You were going to tell me once you had figured out a plan to get him back?” she repeated, her voice practically oozing derision as she pulled herself up to her full height, and right then, Annabeth knew there would be no easy way out to this, no easy way to diffuse this situation.

“We—.”

“Who is _we_ , Annabeth? You and a group of cabin counselors who couldn’t give a shit whether my brother is dead or alive no matter what he’s done for you people, right? Oh, _that’s_ the ‘we’ you mean.”

Her eyes widened at the vitriol laced in Hazel’s tone, and even more so at the curse that had been spat from the girl’s lips. Hazel didn’t curse. Hazel blushed, and sputtered, and clenched her fists in place of the scathing words she truly wanted to use, but she didn’t curse. That was simply not strong willed, yet sweet, polite Hazel Levesque. Annabeth breathed out slowly through her nose, her nostrils flaring subtly as she willed herself to remain calm and complacent in hopes that her calm attitude would somehow transfer to the curly-haired daughter of Hades. “That’s not what I meant—.”

“Oh? Then you’d better explain yourself, because all I’m getting right now are a bunch of intricate words and phrases that are trying to hide that fact that my brother is gone, and you’re doing little to _nothing_ to get him back.”

Annabeth squared her shoulders at the accusation, her lips thinning as Hazel stared at her, waiting for her to explain herself. And slowly, yet surely as she felt her calm begin to slip, a part of her reached out to hold onto it tightly, gripping those figurative reins for all she was worth, yet the reins of her control seemed to be slipping with every tense moment that passed as if they were grasped in sweat slicked hands. “Do you realize that Nico’s not the only one missing? That there are dozens upon dozens of half-bloods missing, including Percy and Jason, hell, even Thalia?”

“I don’t care about them right now!” Hazel words sounded as if they were ripped from her throat, jagged and full of emotion, but hard with the truth as well, and Annabeth found surprise joining the mix of emotions that she was feeling when Hazel barely batted an eyelash at the new information. “Nico is gone and no one is doing a thing to get to get him back.”

“Hazel, do you even hear yourself? Nico is not the only one who’s gone; I don’t know how much I can stress that to you. He’s one of many, and as much as you may wish we could, we can’t place the life of one person over dozens of others. There are people other than you who are missing a sibling, who are missing _multiple_ siblings, and yet they’re not here screaming and demanding that their sibling be put over everyone else—.”

“Because their sibling has never been put last before, each and every time!”

Annabeth steeled herself as Hazel took a step forward, and she lifted her chin stubbornly as Hazel continued her barrage of words.

“Do you know how hard it is to be a child of Pluto? To be _Nico_? I got off easy because of my abilities, and because I’m not the spitting image of our father. But do you know what it’s like to have people flinch back from every move you make, from every damn breath you take all because of who your parent is?”

Hazel was livid now, her eyes shining brightly with fury, with the fact that she was helpless to get her brother back, and that, Annabeth understood. But that didn’t mean she would stand here and silently as she was accused of simply doing nothing, of letting harm come to anyone willingly, not matter how much they may have deserved it. “I get that, Hazel, I really do—.”

“No, you don’t. For gods’ sake, care about him for once! Make him a priority. Jupiter knows he deserves it after everything you’ve all put him through.”

Something fragile inside Annabeth that had simply been waiting for the right moment to be released, snapped at those words, her blonde brows slamming down and her hands tightening into fists at her sides as the ugly barrage of emotions tore through her, making the blood in her veins feel as if it was boiling and her face flushed with barely contained fury, her nails digging grooves into the palms of her hands unwittingly as she struggled to keep her breathing even and calm. “Everything we’ve put him through,” she repeated breathlessly, unbelievingly. “What about everything he’s put us through? And everything he’s put me through? Your brother is no angel, Hazel.”

Hazel scoffed disdainfully, a sneer marring her lovely features. “Now who’s being the selfish one?”

Annabeth straightened, her gaze becoming cold as she stared down the daughter of Pluto, attempting to reign in her anger and frustration. Hazel didn’t deserve to have the results of her stress taken out on her, but currently, she was volatile. And Hazel was pushing her, just as much as she, Annabeth, was unwittingly pushing her as well. “You have no _idea_ what Nico had put me through this past month and a half, and no one will ever understand what I’ve been through and how hard I’m trying to not let it affect me.”

Hazel’s glare lost some of its heat then to confusion, her brows inching upward in puzzlement. “What are you—?”

Annabeth held up a hand, trying her hardest not to let the anger and frustration she was feeling reflect on her features. She had to reel it in, had to make sure that the information she was withholding didn’t slip. “It’s nothing. I refuse to prioritize your brother over dozens of lives, Hazel. And it’s not because of who he is, or because of who his father is, but it’s because I would rather save dozens of lives than one single one.”

Hazel threw down the t-shirt, her eyes blazing now, and Annabeth was sure if she reached out and touched the girl’s mocha-colored skin, it would be heated with fury. At this point, she was simply surprised by the fact that whole mountains of precious jewels had yet to erupt around her, and silently, absently, she thanked the gods that Hazel had learned to control her abilities and not let them be ruled by her emotions. But how long that control would last; she wasn’t quite sure. “What if it was Percy in his place, huh, what would you do then?”

Annabeth tried not to let the fact that she felt as if she’d been slapped in the face with reality show, tried not to let the fact that the sides warring within her were both shouting at her to answer in _their_ way. She had never thought about what she would do if it were Percy in Nico’s position, though the funny thing was, the son of Poseidon _was_ in Nico’s position, or so they assumed. This was a question she would probably be faced with soon enough, and even as her fists clenched tighter into stubborn little balls by her sides, and her brain and her heart warred with one another, she clenched her jaw obstinately, emotion coursing through her as she forced herself to come to a decision. So she simply squared her shoulders, making sure that her features were a perfect mask as she pulled herself up to her full height, her trembling hands clasped before her as she answered, strong and unwaveringly. “I would let him die.”

“You would… _what_?” Hazel took a step back, astonishment contorting her rage filled features as both emotions visibly warred for dominance over her face; anger or shock.

“I would let him die,” Annabeth spat out this time, her teeth clenching with indignation at the look of shock on Hazel’s face, and a rather nasty sneer slowly making its way onto her face. “Surprised?”

The girl swallowed soundlessly. “I…I—.”

“Why would he deserve to live anyway, hm? After all he’s done, he deserves what’s waiting for him in the Underworld,” before Hazel could respond, Annabeth’s lips were tightening in preparation for what she was going to say, her gray eyes blazing stubbornly as she looked straight into the face of her adversary. “And so does Nico.”

That look of rage was back on Hazel’s face within seconds, and she could see that the younger girl was holding herself in place, most likely to make sure she didn’t do something that she would later regret. “And what, pray tell, do you think awaits Nico in the underworld, Annabeth?”

Hazel’s voice was deceptively calm, and the pretense helped her to school her own features into a cold, stoic mask. She shrugged her shoulders in what appeared to be a careless manner, blinking slowly before she answered. “I’m not quite sure. What’s the punishment for adultery in the Underworld again?”

Hazel’s lips parted with discreet shock, though her eyes still shone with anger. Annabeth knew if she told the younger demigod, she wouldn’t believe her. She was under the impression that her brother could do no wrong, just as Annabeth had been under the same impression with Percy.

And gods had she been wrong.

Before Hazel could respond to her blatant accusation the door behind them was thrown open, and Leo burst into the cabin with a goofy grin plastered on his features that was very much unbefitting of the situation at hand. He smile wavered briefly as he took in the looks on both Hazel’s and Annabeth’s faces, but evidently the news he had to share outweighed his curiosity and anxiousness for the tension in the room. He turned to Hazel, blinking distractedly for a moment before he gave his head what was meant to be a casual nod of acknowledgement, but looked more like he was throwing his head in her direction due to his obvious excitement. “Hey, Hazel, how’s it going?” Leo scowled to himself mere seconds afterwards, evidently at the fact that he had gotten himself off track so easily, skillfully oblivious to the way Hazel ignored his question, her gaze bright with anger still fixed on Annabeth.

“What’s up, Leo?” Annabeth questioned smoothly, ignoring the girl’s gaze in favor of focusing on the son of Hephaestus.

Leo’s head snapped up, that same grin goofy grin back on his features. “Jason and Percy are back.”

Before Annabeth could begin to comment on that bit of information—though she wasn’t quite sure she would even be capable of making a sound—Leo was continuing, his smile taking on more of a mischievous turn as he looked back and forth between both female demigods, more than likely choosing to ignore the tension he felt between them for that moment. “And the gods have decided, for once in their nearly useless lives, to help us out.”

~*~

Jason knew he was in for it the moment he saw the frustrated set of Piper’s jaw, and the way her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her lips quivering ever so slightly as he drew closer, in a way that was so familiar he knew he would be getting an earful as soon as he reached the group awaiting he and Percy before the Big House—man did word travel fast in this camp. Not even five minutes ago the general had oh-so kindly—and very literally—dropped them off just before the barriers of the camp, reminding them to go straight to the Big House and to inform Chiron of their impromptu vacation. From there, he and Percy had made yet, another awkward journey together across the camp this time around, no words being spoken, and yet the tension that hung in the air between them said what words couldn’t as the sound of their footfalls around them seemed to echo in their ears, being that it was their only source of sound between them besides their breaths, and the distant, familiar sounds of camp activities around them.

Jason surveyed the small group before him as he approached, noting with a small smile, as well as a slight pang in his chest that Hazel and Frank were amongst them once more, and he shared brief smiles with them both, noticing that his smile wasn’t returned by the daughter of Pluto, who’s arms were crossed over her chest tightly, her fists clenched within the folds of her arms.

His brows furrowed with confusion at Hazel’s tense stance, but he pushed those thoughts aside as he drew to a stop directly before Piper, trying for what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Hey there, Pipes,” he greeted with a small smile, unsure of how the daughter of Aphrodite would react to his presence.

He watched as she gave her head an unbelieving shake, her choppy, auburn locks flying with the movement before she threw herself forward, her arms wrapping around his neck, and he grunted, his smile growing exponentially as she hauled him down until her arms were clasped tightly around his neck. His arms swept around her without another thought, and he hugged her close as she let out a relieved, breathless laugh that sounded more like a whoosh of air in his ear. “I missed you too,” he murmured for her ears only, knowing it was the right thing to say when her arms tightened around him.

“You idiot,” she choked out, shaking her head against the crook of his neck before she pulled back slightly, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. “You make it sound as if you were on vacation. You were kidnapped for gods’ sake!”

He heard Percy give a dubious snort at that, apparently having overheard part of their conversation, and he lifted his head from where it rested on top of Piper’s to look towards the son of the sea god, barely stopping a scowl from marring his features at the interruption. Percy currently had his arm slung over Hazel’s shoulder, the daughter of Pluto wearing a distant smile on her features as Percy slid his other arm from where it rested on a beaming Frank’s shoulder. “Don’t you look at me like that,” Percy said with an eye roll, nodding towards the son of Jupiter, pausing for a moment, and adding as an afterthought, “I’m not even sure you could count that thing back there as being kidnapped.”

It was Leo’s turned to scoff unbelievably this time around, all eyes turning to him as he raised his hands in mock defensiveness. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know that we were no longer defining being taken against your will as being kidnapped.”

“He’s right for once,” Piper responded with a teasing undertone as she disentangled her arms from around Jason’s neck, stepping out of his hold as she regained her calm composure, a single auburn colored brow rising as she visibly sobered up, the only sign of her previous actions the timid pink color dusting along her cheeks. “How the heck would you not classify that as abduction?”

“Depends on who they were taken by on whether or not it classifies as abduction.”

Jason turned towards the direction of the voice, locking gazes with Annabeth from where she appeared to be lounging against the tree directly behind her. But he knew better than that, was trained to know better. Her folded arms were tense, and her stance much too rigid to be properly defined as lounging. “So, who were you taken by? I’m guessing it wasn’t the abductor we’re looking for, seeing as you’re both standing here in good enough condition.”

Before either Jason or Percy could answer, Chiron was clearing his throat, and drawing the attention to himself, the skin around his wizened eyes crinkling affectionately as he smiled, his head tipping in the direction of the Big House. “How about we finish this conversation away from prying ears and such, hm?”

~

By the time he and Percy had finished their tale, the lemonade that had been set in front of him was half full, the ice within the glass melted and making the rest of the drink rather watery and quite unappealing. Jason chased away the little droplets of water that had formed on the outside of the glass in the thoughtful silence that had followed the last of their words.

And of course Leo was the first to break the silence that had fallen, surprising those around him with the sincerity of his words.

“Nico is one lucky bastard,” a rueful smile stretched across his lips as he ran a hand through his hair, his unruly curls sticking up in all directions, not helped at all by his fidgety hands.

“Because he got kidnapped?” Frank questioned, his brows furrowing as he sat forward in his seat, Hazel at his side, a calculating look sharpening her golden eyes, not a result of Leo’s comment, but continuously directed towards the daughter of Athena who, much to Jason’s surprise, merely offered Hazel a dismissive glance before she focused back on Leo. Once again, he would cross that bridge when he got there, he silently decided as he watched Hazel’s lips thin.

“No, because he has not only one, but _two_ godly parents who care for him; not all of us can even say that we have one that gives a rats ass about us,” he explained, more than likely unaware of the envious undertone in his voice.

Jason grimaced at that, inwardly agreeing adamantly at that statement, despite the way Chiron’s lips twisted in displeasure at the words Leo used to voice his opinion. While he knew his father cared about he and Thalia, he knew that his wife—Hera, would like nothing more than to make them disappear. Hera was a jealous woman, and no matter how it may appear to those on the outside that she cared for her stepchildren, it was simply a pretense to fool those around her and make them believe that she was a perfect mother with a perfect family.

She did throw Hephaestus off of Olympus for a reason after all.

He surveyed the motley group around him from his lawn chair on the porch of the Big House, his gaze landing on Drew. She had been rather quiet throughout his whole explanation, though while he knew she was listening attentively, she seemed to be in her own world, her finger tracing the outer rim of her glass absently.

Annabeth sat forward in her chair, her hands folded in the space before her as she gazed between him and Percy, her lips thinning indecisively before she turned her full attention on the son of Jupiter. “While that’s all very true, and your story very enlightening and _heartwarming_ ,” she drew out the word as if it pained her to say it, oblivious to the way Hazel’s brows furrowed in a rather furious manner. “It wasn’t quite the news we were hoping for. Are you positive Hades and Persephone knew nothing about the kidnapper?”

Jason gave his head a small, curt nod; a slight suspicious feeling rising in the pit of his stomach at the stoic way Annabeth continued to watch him. “Of course. I mean, I know you’re probably skeptical about Hades not being the kidnapper given your history with him, but he has no reason to kidnap his own child, along with children of Apollo and Zeus.”

Annabeth’s blonde brows rose dubiously at that, and she leaned back in her chair with a soft snort. “No reason except for the fact that he hates Zeus and has tried to start conflicts with him before in the past, right?”

He gave his head a stubborn shake, his body tensing defensively at the female demigod’s implications. “Wherever you’re trying to go with this, you might as well give up. You’ll get nowhere with this line of thinking; Hades and Persephone were torn up over Nico’s disappearance, and they were desperate enough to come to _us_ for help; two half-bloods who are children of two certain gods that Hades can barely stand.”

“He’s right,” Percy murmured before Annabeth could protest, his eyes fastened to his glass as he spoke. “Besides, Hades is sneakier than that—more cunning. He wouldn’t do something so out there, and obvious; he’d rather surprise us.”

Annabeth’s lips tightened as Percy spoke, though she didn’t turn towards him, didn’t so much as acknowledge the words that were directed towards her. She sat up straighter, her gaze sharpening as she gazed around the motley group around her, her body visibly tense as she spoke. “And every last one of you agrees with that?”

The hushed silence around the table was more than enough as an answer to her question, Jason realized as he watched Annabeth’s nostrils flare with a frustration that was nearly palpable in the air, but before he could try and reassure her of their choice, Chiron was speaking, and he was settling himself back into his seat. Surely the centaur could assuage her anger, Jason thought, and as his gaze flickered back over to Annabeth, realizing that the more thoughtful activity director was probably the best to do so seeing as he had known the female demigod the longest out of anyone in the group.

“Perhaps, Annabeth,” he started out slowly, calmly, drawing her attention to him as his bright brown eyes settled on her sharp gray ones. “Perhaps you are taking this much too personally. And as a child of Athena, you should know better than anyone else that in order to come to the correct conclusions your must detach your mind from your heart.”

The daughter of Athena watched Chiron unwaveringly for a moment more in the silence that followed his words, conflicting emotions flickering over her face much too quickly for Jason to comprehend before she turned her head, her hair creating a gleaming shield that efficiently blocked her features from view. All was silent as she finally turned back to the table, Jason’s hands clenched tensely in anticipation of her words, and a wince creeping up on his features at the way her eyes hardened as she scanned the table.

He didn’t want her to be upset with any of them, or hurting for any reason. He wasn’t quite sure _why_ she was taking this so personally. He paused at that thought, his eyes widened a fraction and his lips parting subtly in shock as he finally allowed himself to pause, and assess Annabeth and Percy’s behavior towards one another. It was in the way that she continuously angled her body away from the son of Poseidon, resolutely keeping her gaze, the skin around her eyes crinkling in a way that Jason was all too familiar with. She _wanted_ to look at him, but she wouldn’t allow herself to. But why? And why was it that Percy was gazing at her in a way that was partly remorseful and partly longing. And then he knew. He knew that she had to know that Percy and Nico had been sleeping together.

He watched, frozen with shock as Annabeth’s lips clamped together as she stood, her head held high despite the way Jason caught her hands trembling at her sides before she clasped them together before herself as if they were a shield. “Then I should probably go because in this situation, I don’t think I can do that.”

And with those last words, she turned on her heel, not sparing anyone a glance as she stiffly made her way back towards the cabins, a haze of confusion left in her path that spared at least two of them at the table; he and Percy. And Jason understood then, why she wanted Hades to be guilty, why she _needed_ Hades to be the kidnapper. It was the same reason why he had needed Poseidon to be accountable for the missing demigods.

He turned as he caught a flicker of movement in the corner of his eyes, and watched as Percy began to rise from his chair his gaze fastened on Annabeth’s retreating form. And as he watched Percy rise from his chair, a dark, ugly rage tore through him, and his lips thinned as he watched concern brew in Percy’s sea green eyes. He had no right. No right at all to go after her, after what he knowingly did to her, _continued_ to do to her even though he knew it was wrong. He had no right to stare after her as if he cared, as if he finally cared. He hadn’t cared enough to stop sleeping with Nico, to not sleep with him in the first place, so why put on the act now?

“Probably not the best idea, lover boy,” Drew murmured, directing the words towards both he and Percy before Jason’s  hand–a hand that he hadn’t even realized was moving—spanned the gap between their flesh, electricity he hadn’t realized was there dancing across his fingers threateningly. With a small sound of surprise, he withdrew his hand, his cheeks darkening bashfully as Drew cut him a quelling glance before turning back to the son of the sea god with a perfectly groomed raised brow as he paused, turning his attention—as well as everyone else’s—towards her. Drew gave Jason one more cursory glance, and once she was sure Jason would behave himself, a thought that had Jason’s features morphing into a scowl by the way, she turned back to Percy, her gaze surprisingly stern as she motioned for him to sit back down.

Percy’s hands fluttered at his sides as he stubbornly looked back towards the direction Annabeth had gone, an indecisive frown marring his features as he looked back at Drew, seeking understanding in her firm look. “I…I have to talk to her.”

Drew scoffed daintily at that, her eyes narrowing as she inspected her naked nails, almost inaudibly mumbling to herself about  nail polish and manicures before she looked back up, a wry tilt lifting the corners of her lips. “ _You_ have to talk to her?” a barely suppressed laugh tumbled from her lips, and Jason watched silently as Percy’s nostrils faintly flared with frustration.

“Do I really need to repeat myself?” Percy gritted out through clenched teeth, his dark colored brows furrowed with his growing frustration as Drew merely tipped her head mockingly, brushing a few of her ebony locks out of her face before she smiled, and even her pearly, white teeth glinted predatorily.

“I think,” she drawled, looking rather carefree as she hooked her leg over the other, her sweatpants—something Jason thought he would never see the daughter of the love goddess herself wearing—riding up ever so slightly. “I think that if anyone should go and talk to her, it should be Jason.”

Wait, _what_? Jason’s lips parted in shock as all eyes turned to him, Percy’s briefly before his head snapped back in Drew’s direction, the corners of his lips tense as his hands furled, and unfurled into agitated fist. “Yeah, hell no. That’s not happening.”

Drew’s brows rose with a façade of innocent curiosity as she kept her gaze locked with Percy’s, and Jason, who slowly recovered from his surprise, straightened at the way Drew’s eyes glinted. “And why is that? Because you think Annabeth and Jason will exact revenge on you by doing the same thing you and Nico did to them?”

Jason’s brows slammed down at her words, and from the other side of the table, he caught Hazel’s frame locking up completely, whereas Leo simply gaped, more than likely shocked that he wasn’t the only one who knew. But wait. _Drew_ knew? She had to, if her cutting words were anything to go by.

His hands tightened on the arms of his chair as he stared at Drew, a sense of understanding dawning on him as he watched her verbally spar with Percy, though their words never reached his ears. She _knew_. All this time, Drew had known, yet she hadn’t uttered a word of it to him. His grip tightened painfully on the chair, his vision hazing as he stared unblinkingly at the daughter of Aphrodite, watching silently as her lips moved and her lids closed before opening once again as she rolled her eyes at something Percy had said. He felt his lips tightening, his eyes narrowing, and his fingers trembling as _it_ tore through him.

It was hot, _blistering_ as it raced through his chest, through the very veins beneath his skin, darkening and blurring the corners of his vision until his sight was tainted with a deep red. Pure, unadulterated rage boiled his blood, and by this time he was sure that his features had morphed into something ugly, something so alien that it was the reason why he faintly heard Piper calling out to him, wary concern lacing her tone. But he didn’t care. He didn’t care because Drew had known, and yet she hadn’t said a thing about it, had sat and watched on the sidelines as Jason made a fool of himself. As he unthinkingly gave a piece of himself that he would never get back to a boy who had knowingly hurt him. And while yes, Leo had done the same thing, it was different on so many levels, because Leo hadn’t quite known the depth of what he had seen. But Drew had.

She had smiled in his face, and urged him to pursue whatever it was that was going on between him and Nico. She pleaded with him to give Nico another chance, while she knew what was happening all the while. She had known his reservations about climbing into bed with someone before he loved them, and yet she had urged him into bed with Nico. He imagined her sitting back and laughing, inspecting her nails as she grinned, entertained by the chaos that was his life. In the back of his mind, he knew that everything wasn’t completely her fault, that he had played a big part in the things that he had done with Nico, things that he didn’t quite regret as much as he should have. But right now, at that very moment, he was _pissed_ , and there was nothing his subconscious, or anyone could do to change that.

He violently stood from the table, he knee jostling it unbeknownst to him and causing his glass of watered down lemonade to sway precariously before toppling over the edge, the glass falling and hitting the ground with a loud _crash_ , the sticky liquid clinging to the fabric of his jeans and seeping into his tennis shoes, partially soaking his socks. But he didn’t care. His gaze remained on Drew, his anger only soaring as she jumped, startled by the shattering of the glass, and her gaze locking with his as she turned to find the source of the sound.

His name was being repeated as his continued to stare at Drew, and he felt someone, probably Piper, reached out to touch him before she jerked her hand away with a yelp. He felt electricity surging over his skin, snapping and popping with his anger as Drew’s gaze morphed from surprise, to curious as he continued to glare at her. Right now, he was attempting to reign in his anger, keeping the beast that was rage locked up inside of him as well as he could. He didn’t want to let it out. He was a son of Jupiter; he couldn’t be ruled by his emotions like this. And then Drew spoke, and he knew he was fighting a losing battle as his control slipped. “Jason?” she drawled carefully, her sculpted brows arching warily.

And with her words, his rage broke free.

“You knew,” he hissed, unable to recognize the icy sound of his own voice. “You _knew_.”

Drew’s mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, her skin paling ever so slightly before she gave her head an adamant shake, her ice princess pretense sliding back over her features in a mask of cool, snobby indifference. “Oh, get over yourself, Golden Boy, what else did you expect? I did what I had to do for Nico’s sake. Nico and I are best—.”

Jason didn’t let her finish. Before he knew it, he was in her face, so close that he was sure that she could feel the electric current moving over his skin. He wasn’t quite sure how he moved so quickly, but all he knew was that he was where he needed to be, and nothing else mattered besides Drew, and the way her chest rose and fell rapidly. He could barely register the sounds around, faintly picking up on the Leo and Piper’s desperate argument over whether Leo could touch him without getting hurt. They assumed that he was going to hurt Drew, that he would be so blinded by his rage that he would lash out at her physically. But he knew better, knew that even in his rage that he wouldn’t lay a finger on her, no matter how angry he got. Furious or not, he still had morals. Besides, he didn’t need his hands to hurt her, no; he knew just the words that he would use to hurt her as much as she had hurt him.

“You did what you had to do for Nico’s sake?” he marveled mockingly, his lips twisting into nasty sneer as he watched Drew struggle to keep her mask in place. “Who do you think you’re kidding? You’ve walked around this camp for years, acting like you’re better than everyone else, like you’re worth more than everyone, and making everyone’s life a living hell just because you felt like it—because you could. And now you think that because you’ve supposedly done one good thing that that’s all clear, that that’s all in the past. Well here’s a bit of a reality check for you, _Drew_ ; you’re not a good person. You’re a manipulative _bitch_ with no friends because people _hate_ you. And scooping up Nico’s ‘charity’ case won’t change that—it _hasn’t_ changed that.”

Jason pulled back as Drew’s stoic mask crumbled to dust before his eyes, and he turned, not needed to see the result of his catastrophic words. He knew how she felt right now, had _intended_ for her to feel that way, to feel exactly what she made him feel. His features were cold and detached as he strode off of the porch of the Big House, leaving behind the stunned silence that had followed his cruel words.

He couldn’t feel anything but rage as he continued walking, not quite sure where he was going yet, and content—as content as he could be at that moment—with finding out when he would get there. He didn’t dwell on the words he had spat at Drew, because he knew that he would feel remorse for speaking them, and right now, he didn’t want to feel anything. Anything but his rage that is.

He moved on, ignoring greetings from the other campers, ignoring the raised hands of Travis and Connor Stoll, ignoring the question about reparations from the head counselor of the cabin of Hebe. He didn’t stop walking. He couldn’t stop walking, because he knew that if he did, he’d start thinking. And he really didn’t want to think right now. So he walked, without a destination in mind, he continued to move forward, only stopping when his body forced him to.

By this time, he wasn’t even angry anymore, or even remorseful. He was simply tired, and he needed someone who understood. And as he looked up at the cabin of Athena, he knew he had gone to the right place, consciously or otherwise.

~*~

Annabeth glared down at the book she had clutched in both hands, her stance rigid as she stared down unseeingly at the page before her, the words blurring into a jumbled mess as she simply continued to stare, her muscles screaming in protest as she clenched her reading material harder, her knuckles undoubtedly whitened from the strain. She wasn’t quite sure what she was reading, or why she had even bothered to pick up a book in the first place when she had known her attempts at focusing would be in vain from the moment she had sat down on her bunk. If anything, coming back to her cabin was probably the worst decision to make. At the moment, she couldn’t handle the scrutinizing stares of her siblings, couldn’t handle the continuous streams of concerned questions, when all she wanted right now was to be alone, and even give into her urge to throw a few things.

Every little thing that she normally didn’t mind, normally _tolerated_ was irritating her, was pushing her to her wit’s end. The quiet buzzing of music that sounded from one of her brothers’ headphones had her clenching her teeth, the way someone murmured and worried over a battle plan from years ago, specifically from the battle of Kronos, loudly pointing out the flaws in the strategies to Malcolm, who was sitting nearby, a wrinkle forming between his brows as he nodding his understanding, every once in a while putting in his two cents. And that made Annabeth’s irritation soar to new heights as she watched Kirsty arrogantly point out each and every error she believed to be in their plans, the curve of her lips saying it all; if she had been here at the time, there wouldn’t have been so many casualties, that they probably wouldn’t have lost _anyone_.

Kirsty hadn’t been there, and therefore had no right to talk about the fallen in such an arrogant, flippant manner, as if they were balloons that had been lost in the wind; pitiful to see them go, but not dire to have near. She felt her face twisting into a rather nasty expression as Kirsty grinned smugly, catching her eye and immediately snatching the map from Malcolm’s hands as she moved towards Annabeth, her chin raised triumphantly as she spread the map out on the blonde’s workstation. “I _totally_ found the flaw in your plan all those years ago.”

She felt as stab of pain at Kirsty’s more than likely unintentional jab, subtly implying that she had been the one responsible for all of the fallen because she was the head counselor of the cabin of Athena. Malcolm who had been listening in on the conversation, paled at Kirsty’s words, and opened his mouth to say something that vaguely looked like a protest before Kirsty cut him off, jabbing her finger at a point on the considerably worn map, though Annabeth kept her gaze pinned on the girl before her, who had rather annoyingly—something she hadn’t realized _was_ annoying up until this point—had taken to coloring her hair so often that Annabeth wasn’t quite sure what the girl’s natural hair color was. But today, her hair was a vibrant sapphire blue that gradually faded into a blue-green color towards the ends of her shoulder length hair, and in that split second, Annabeth realized it reminded her of a less brilliant version of Percy’s eyes, and that only caused her anger to soar to new heights at the thought of her _ex_ -boyfriend.

Kirsty watched her expectantly, tapping her finger impatiently on the map to draw Annabeth’s attention to the map. “So, what do you think then? And don’t hold back, I might be _totally_ wrong, but I’m almost one-hundred percent sure I’m _totally_ right though.”

Oh, Annabeth had no intentions of holding back on the girl before her, whose lips were already twisting triumphantly as she studied Annabeth’s face, as if that was enough of an answer for her. Yeah, holding back was something that would not be happening, she’d _especially_ tell Kirsty exactly how she felt about how freaking often she repeated the word “totally”, as if she couldn’t breathe without the word coming out of her mouth—.

“Annabeth?”

Her mouth snapped shut at the sound of her name, the corners of her lips tightening with irritation as she turned towards the direction in which her name had been called. She took in a deep breath through her nose, plastering a steely mask of nonchalance onto her face as she raised a brow expectantly. “Yes?”

“Jason’s here to see you,” her sibling said, his eyes narrowing as he watched her, studying her intently, in a way that she knew if she continued to sit there, he would probably figure out that something was wrong with her.

Fucking children of Athena—excluding herself of course.

She took a moment to scold herself for her foul use of language before she gave her head a sharp nod as she rose from her bunk, only pausing to take a quick pick in the mirror beside her bed before she moved towards the door, motioning her sibling out of the way with an absent flick of her wrist that had him scowling though he acquiesced to her silent request. Jason straightened as she filled the doorway, leaning against the threshold with indifference that she didn’t feel. She had a sneaking suspicion that she knew why Jason was here, watching her in an almost guarded manner, probably the same way she was watching him.

She and Jason had never been very close. Despite the trials they had gone through together, Annabeth never felt any sort of connection with him besides the camaraderie that was to be expected seeing as they—including the others who had been on the _Argo II_ together—had been forced to put their lives in one another’s hands. They had to learn to trust one another no matter how long they had known each other, or how familiar they were with one another. As expected, it had been a little bit difficult at first, but eventually, they had all warmed up to one another on some degree and had found some sort of similarities that had brought them together. For Annabeth and Jason, it had been their relationship with Piper that had brought them together, seeing as at the time, Jason had been dating Piper, and Annabeth considered the girl to be one of her closest friends despite the fact that they hadn’t quite known each another for a long time.

But now, seeing as the time that they had been forced to be in one another’s company for days on end had ended, the bond—as little as it was—that they had formed has disintegrated as time had passed, not helped by the fact that Piper and Jason had broken up. And yes, Annabeth had known the details of why Piper and Jason had broken up, seeing as Piper confided in her, and she in Piper, which added onto her shock when she had found out that Percy and Nico were sleeping together. While Piper had informed her of the Nico’s consumption of the Sacred Love Wine, it didn’t take a child of Athena, or Aphrodite for that matter, to realize just how close Jason and Nico were growing. She had noticed the little looks Jason had been throwing in Nico’s direction, and the other way around, yet hadn’t quite known what exactly they meant, or the depth of their relationship for that matter.

As she watched the son of Jupiter before her, and he her, in the back of her mind, she wondered whether or not Jason knew about Nico’s little _tryst_ with Percy. And was it her place to tell him if he didn’t know?

“I don’t know why I’m here,” Jason blurted out, cutting off her line of thought as his cheeks darkened with embarrassment after a moment of silence in which Annabeth pondered his words with a single arched brow, her eyes roving over the blonde demigod before her with a slight amused smile.

Her chest rose with the deep, audible breath she took in, her smile growing hesitantly until it at least resembled something close to a smirk rather than a grimace. “Well, that makes two of us then.”

She watched with relief as a corner of Jason’s lips kicked up in response to her teasing, slightly alleviating the awkward tension that had been hanging in the air around them. “I guess,” Jason murmured, peering at Annabeth with those stunning blue eyes he was so known for. “I…I guess I just came to talk to you about what just went down—.”

“If you came here to convince me to come back, you’re wasting your time.” Annabeth’s voice was as sharp, and biting as a whip, making the half-blood in front of her straighten in response to the sudden iciness that took up residence in her tone.

“No!” he exclaimed, giving his head a small firm shake before he exhaled briefly. “I…I just, will you take a walk with me? I think we should talk about this somewhere more _private_.”

He spoke the last word pointedly, his gaze fixed on a point over her shoulder, and when she began to turn to see what had captured his attention, she heard a nervous shuffling, and caught glimpse of her siblings scrambling hurriedly, but after she blinked, the image scene before her hand shifted, and now her siblings were lounged around much too casually, their gazes pointedly fixed on other tasks; one was even holding a book upside-down.

She scowled into the cabin, turning back around before the amusement and affection that was building inside of her could fully form on her face for siblings to see. She nodded towards Jason, the remnants of her fond smile slowly fading away as she stepped over the threshold, closing the cabin door behind her. “Lead the way, Grace.”

They walked side-by-side, Jason’s hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, and Annabeth reaching up to tuck a few stray locks of hair behind her ear every once in a while. As much as she wished that she could say that their trek was spent in comfortable silence, Annabeth just couldn’t. The atmosphere between them was tense, and most certainly awkward. Every now and then she would catch movement from the son of Jupiter from the corner of her eye, Jason more than likely getting ready to speak before he thought better of it and ended up simply remaining silent; any other day, that wouldn’t have bothered Annabeth quite as much as it should have, but today, today she yearned to hear something other than the thoughts running ramped in her head.

Eventually, she grew tired of that stifling air that surrounded them, only broken by the distant sounds of campers in the background going about their daily activities. Finally, after a few moments of hesitation, she sighed heavily, planting her feet into the ground pointedly, and rather dramatically, drawing Jason’s attention as she turned to blonde half-blood beside her. “Jason what’s the—?”

“Sometimes I think the gods go out of their way to spite me.” Jason was staring at the grass beneath their feet, idly toeing at the ground with the tip of his tennis shoe with feigned interest. “I mean, they have their reasons to.”

Annabeth’s brows shot up as she watched the son of Jupiter in silence, noting the way he gradually began to tense when she let the silence continue for much too long to be considered normal. “Okay,” she drawled, just as softly as he had spoken, feeling as if the moment between them would shatter into nothingness if she spoke to loudly. “I’ll bite; why do you feel that way?”

She watched as the tension in Jason’s shoulders slowly seeped out, and she felt herself begin to relax too—not matter how miniscule that amount was. The boy nodded towards the land before them, a small, rueful smile quirking up the corners of his lips ever so slightly. “What do you see here?”

The daughter of Athena blinked, confusion evident on her features as she scanned the land stretched out before them with a small frown on her lips. There was nothing quite so special about area they were standing in, at least not in her eyes. They were a little ways away from the arena, but far enough from the forest that she didn’t need to worry about a rogue monster coming out and surprising them with an attack. It was surprisingly peaceful here, being that it was further away from the usual camp activities that occurred during the day, and only if she listened closely, she could hear the occasional _clang_ of weapons coming together.

“It’s…it’s quiet here,” she murmured, lowering herself to the ground before she could fully register what she was doing.

She didn’t have to look up at Jason to know that he would be wearing a surprised expression on his sculpted features. Before she could get out a word to explain her behavior, or to ask for him to explain, Jason lowered himself to the ground, sitting beside her and stretching his legs out before him, resting most of his weight on his arms which were stretching a little ways behind him. He turned towards her, briefly flashing her one of those megawatt grins that made many a girl’s hearts flutter before he lowered his lids, his grin fading off into a small smile as he ran his fingers through his hair briefly, his surprisingly dark lashes shielding his eyes from view.

Annabeth shifted uncomfortably beside him as she watched him from her peripheral vision, her hands clenched into fists against the ground as she shifted her gaze away, staring off into the forest with a small frown. It was odd to see Jason like this to say the least. Freely showing emotions on his features, not matter how hesitant, and for some reason, it made her relax.

She pulled her legs up slightly, draping her arms across her knees loosely, her frown sliding from her face when she heard Jason inhale deeply. “I usually come here to think on my own,” he started off quietly, not looking at her as he spoke. And for some reason, Annabeth was okay with that.

“People walk past here every day, but I don’t think they realize just how… _different_ it is over here, opposed to the rest of the camp.” Jason turned towards her finally, eyeing her critically for a moment before he turned away once again. “That’s why I planned on building some of the shrines and temples to commonly forgotten gods and goddesses over here, because it’s just so peaceful.”

“It’s…cool that you’re willing to give up something that you hold so close to you in order to share it with other people, honestly,” Annabeth muttered, watching as Jason turned to give her another smile.

“Thanks,” he murmured, patting the grass fondly in an action that made Annabeth inadvertently snort with amusement.

“So, what’s stopping you from getting a move on over here?” she motioned to the area around them, a single blonde brow arched questioningly.

Jason shrugged, sighing heavily as he turned his attention to the forest, seemingly taking in the crisp foliage as the corners of his lips turned down. “In the beginning, I had it planned that I would have at least half of the shrines finished by this month, I mean, I’ve done all the research, consulted with a lot of minor gods and goddesses, but…I’ve just been caught up in a lot of stuff lately. It’s just been one thing after another, and I haven’t had the time or the focus to do much else.”

Annabeth nodded her understanding, a short, thoughtful silence following his words. She turned to look at him, but had to look away again when it became too much. She had never really realized it before, but Jason looked like Thalia in his own way. Looking at them both side-by-side, it wasn’t glaringly obvious that they were siblings, but when you looked closer, you could see that they shared some of the same features. She swallowed with some difficulty, blinking a few times before she spoke, forcing her voice to be unwavering when to addressed the former praetor. “I’m sorry about Thalia. I know she—.”

“I really don’t want to talk about it,” Jason cut her off breezily, a tense undertone to his forced nonchalance causing her to fall silence with a nod.

She plucked piece of grass from the ground, examining it idly before she noticed that Jason was watching her with a somewhat hesitant expression on his face. She cleared her throat awkwardly, tossing aside the small piece of vegetation before she spoke. “So, you never really explained why you think the gods go out of their way to ‘spite’ you, or why you think you deserve it.”

Jason smiled at the way she air quoted the word “spite” before he shrugged for what seemed to be the millionth time since they had met up. “It’s just that I promised that I would make these shrines and temples as soon as possible, yet I don’t even have a design sketched out for _one_ temple. I sometimes just think that there could be a minor god or goddess out to get me since I haven’t quite followed through with my promise yet.”

It was Annabeth’s turn to shrug this time, her gaze focused on the way the lush grass of the camp swayed with the light wind. “I don’t think that’s true. If a god was really out to get you, I think that they would be watching you, and that they would see how much stuff you’ve been going through this past month or so, and I think they would understand. Think about it this way, if they didn’t trust you to follow through with your promise, then you wouldn’t even be sitting here, you would be answering to a bunch of angry minor gods. But you’re honest, Jason, and I’m sure they could even see that when you made your promise in the first place.”

She watched as the Roman visibly mulled over her words, his brows furrowing thoughtfully before he gave his head a small nod, turning to her with a small smile lifting up the corners of his lips. “You know what would really help me to get a start on my project?”

Annabeth felt her brows rise as she registered the slightly mischievous tilt to Jason’s lips and the mysterious twinkle in his blue eyes. “What?” she asked, forcing herself to sound casual and refusing to let the wariness that she was feeling seep into her voice.

“An experienced architect who really, _really_ knows what she’s doing.” A soft, amused laugh forced itself from Annabeth as Jason held up his hands clasped before him, a pleading look in his eyes. “Please?”

Annabeth gave her head a slight shake before she shrugged her shoulders, clamping her lips together briefly to stop the smile that kept trying to take up residence on her lips. “We’ll see about that. Now, what’s the real reason you brought me out here. I know there’s no reason that you would take me out somewhere ‘private’ to ask me to help on the construction of your shrines, so, what’s up?”

Immediately, Jason sobered up. All trace of humor slid from his face, and wash from his eyes, that hesitant expression there once again. Tension seeped into his shoulders before her eyes, and he averted his gaze, as he sat forward, looking much more serious than he had a mere moment ago. She watched warily as his nostrils flared with the deep intake of breath he took, visibly attempting to relax himself before he spoke.

“Annabeth…I…” he made a strangled sound as he stared at the ground below them, his hands fisted in the lush green grass. “Never mind.”

She tutted her tongue softly, her brows furrowing as she crossed her arms across her chest with a small frown. “Come on now, you brought me all the way out here, so you might as well start talking, Grace.”

He made a troubled sound in the back of his throat that had her frown deepening as she watched him closely, taking in the way he fidgeting uncomfortably beside her. “I don’t even know how to say though. It’s nothing, okay, let’s just move on—”

She shook her head stubbornly, her hand flitting about dismissively as she cut off his line of speech. “Jason, just say it—”

She found herself shrinking back as Jason turned and pinned her with those sky blue eyes, apprehension etched into his strong features as words tumbled from his mouth, cutting her off in a similar fashion to the way she had done to him. “I know about Percy and Nico, and I know that you know too.”

And as quickly as she began to unwittingly open herself up to the teen beside her, she closed herself right back off, the emotion sliding from her face, and her position in the grass quickly shifting from relaxed, to on edge in an instant, and when she met Jason’s eyes, determination, and anger fueled by embarrassment raced through her core, and she knew the son of Jupiter has detected the shift as soon as it occurred.

His hands tensed as he sat straight, all sense of the friendliness and ease that had been there washing from his features, replaced by the all too familiar expression of uneasiness and wariness returning to his sculpted features.

“Annabeth—.”

He tried to speak, but she simply didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want to hear the surprise that would be evident in his tone that _she_ , the leader of the cabin of Athena, a daughter of the goddess of wisdom herself had fallen for Percy’s antics, for the lies hidden beneath the surface of his easy smiles. She couldn’t hear the surprise, but all in all, surprise meant disappointment.

“Is that why you’re here then Jason?” she drawled mockingly, a twisted, saccharine smile lifting the corers of her tensed lips. “So that we can compare sob stories of how our hearts were broken and so that we can cry on each other’s shoulders after we finished braided each other’s hair like fucking thirteen year old girls?”

She watched as Jason visibly recoiled at her words, watched as he began to shut down as well, the emotion in his eyes and on his face draining away so quickly that it was possible that they might not have even been there in the first place. But she continued, despite the pain she may have been causing him, because this was life, and eventually the ones you trust the most, the ones who swear that they have your back, will be the exact ones to stab you in it. And she was just preparing him for reality, giving him a taste of what she had experienced over and over throughout her life.

The betrayals she had faced with Luke Castellan, Selena Beauregard, with Nico di Angelo, and with Percy freaking Jackson. Jason’s pain was nothing compared to her own, and she would make him realize that.

“Well sorry to break it to you Grace, but that’s not happening; so very sorry to quash your little fantasies of peace and happiness and rainbows.”

She was breathing heavily by the time she finished, her breath audibly forcing its way through her nose, and yet, after everything she had said, Jason hadn’t moved from his position beside her, and was in fact studying her cerulean eyes so intently that she had to force herself not to fidget.

She watched as Jason’s eyes softened minutely, and a furious sense of indignation spread through her chest as she spotted what seemed to be the makings of pity in his eyes. But before she got the opportunity to speak, to snap at him, the son of Jupiter leaned over in a move so quick and so surprising, that she wouldn’t have seen it form from a mile away. He pecked her cheek in an action that was so simple, chaste, and such a friendly gesture, that she felt her features slackening despite the fact that the pressure of his lips on her skin was so brief, and so light that she could have imagined the whole thing, that it could have simple been the breeze caressing her skin.

“I see right through you, Annabeth,” he murmured with a small, sad quirk of his lips before he stood, brushing off his jeans before he spared her one last glance, he mouth opening and shutting hesitantly before he finally spoke, his cheeks taking on a rather embarrassed light pink hue. “And it’s okay to be hurt, you know. And it’s okay to be angry, just as long as it doesn’t consume you. And it’s okay to cry. I…I did it too, and there’s nothing wrong with that; there’s nothing wrong with letting yourself depend on someone else for a while. It doesn’t make you weak.”

And then with one last glance in her direction, he was gone, leaving her to mull over his words with angry indignation brewing in her chest, and embarrassment burning the skin of her cheeks. He had no right to act as if he knew what she felt, what she was going through. He had only gotten a taste of her pain, and mere sample, because as far as she knew, he hadn’t committed himself to Nico the way she had committed herself to Percy. She had given herself completely to the son of Poseidon, practically placed her heart in his hands and trusted wholeheartedly that he would keep it safe, that he would allow now harm to come to it. She had never imagined that he would be the one to drive the stake into it.

Jason didn’t understand that pain, because he hadn’t fallen into Tartarus with Nico because he refused to let him go, he hadn’t been through the hellish place with him, didn’t take the weight of the sky off of Nico’s shoulders to place it upon his own, a burden that still let itself be known in the streaks of gray that marked their hair, he didn’t understand. He never would until he went through half of the things she had gone through with Percy.

And she would make him understand that.

She leapt to her feet, determination coursing through her veins, as took off after the son of Jupiter, the sound of her feet thudding against the earth nearly inaudible after years of training, but she had a feeling Jason knew she was coming, though as she neared his retreating form, he remained lax and calm, not tensing up even when she drew to a stop behind him.

She threw her hands out in front of her, her features marred with a snarl as she shoved Jason forward, making him stumble over his feet before he regained his balance, whipping around to face her with his brows risen calmly, as if her outburst was a regular occurrence. And that only made her anger grow, because she wanted him to truly hear her when she spoke, to understand that she meant every word that she spoke. She didn’t want him to take it in stride, to simply nod his head and be done with it; she wanted him to think about her words for the days to come, and to understand that what he felt was nothing compared to what she felt, that he didn’t understand her pain in the slightest.

“Don’t ever think to compare yourself to me, and how I feel,” she started, her voice trembling with the exertion of trying to keep herself under control, to keep her emotions under wrap.

Jason seemed to steel himself as he watched her, his azure eyes hardening a fraction as she glared at him, her nostrils flaring with every deep breath she took. “Annabeth, I know—”

“No, I don’t want to hear it, because you _don’t_ know. You have no idea how I feel, you—no one—will ever understand how I feel, so stop trying to act like you can. The pain that you feel is incomparable to mine, do you understand that?”

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but Annabeth merely forged ahead, her fists clenched angrily at her sides. “You haven’t been through half of things I’ve been through with Percy, you didn’t put as much effort into your relationship with Nico as I did with Percy, so you’ll never understand what I feel, so stop trying.”

“And how would you know the details of our relationship, Annabeth, huh?” Jason snapped suddenly, his eyes hardening within the time span in which she had spoken, and his form coiling tight with a tension that had formed so suddenly, she knew Jason had been on edge the whole while she spoke. “You don’t know a thing about our relationship, so stop—”

“And you don’t know a thing about how I feel. Don’t you get it, Jason? Your relationship with Nico was a joke, it was a façade to hide the fact that he had been sleeping with Percy. Nico uses people to get to where he needs to be, and he used you, not matter how much you don’t want to admit that. Gods,” she scoffed, shaking her head patronizingly with an ugly expression marring her features. “You shouldn’t even be calling it relationship, because it wasn’t _real_.”

The son of Jupiter drew back as if he had been slapped, his mouth opening and shutting wordlessly for a moment before he finally seemed to regain himself, his face flushing with anger. “You’re wrong,” he forced out, his jaw working silently, and she imagined his teeth grating against one another.

Annabeth laughed, but there was no humor to it. It was an ugly, dry imitation of what was supposed to be a joyful, heartwarming sound.  “Get a clue, Grace. I’ve known Nico for years longer than you have, so I’ll give you a little insight on him; Nico doesn’t care about anyone but himself—”

“That’s not true.” The corners of Jason’s lips were tightened at the corners, his nostrils flaring subtly with the frustration that he was evidently feeling, that _Annabeth_ was making him feel.

“Then how come he did this to you, huh? He doesn’t _care_ , Jason, he used you, played you the way Percy played me and then just disappeared. I’m willing to bet he’s out hiding somewhere, waiting for this whole thing to blow over some that he can come back and screw up everyone’s lives again.”

“Don’t you dare talk about him like that,” Jason growled out, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared down at her, his features looking sharp and harsh when a shadow crossed over his face.

“I’ll talk about him any way I want to, because of what he did to me.”

The former praetor shook his head stubbornly, his brows pinched with frustration at just how stubborn the daughter of Athena was being, and Annabeth steeled herself, squaring her shoulders stubbornly. “Do you realize how selfish and self centered you sound, Annabeth, I get that Percy and Nico hurt you, but that doesn’t mean that my feelings or my relationship are any more insignificant that yours because of the depth of your relationship with him. And it most certainly doesn’t mean that everything I had with Nico was false. My feelings are real, everything, all _effort_ I did in fact put into our relationship was very much real, and just because we weren’t the couple you and Percy were doesn’t mean that things between us were fake.”

“I think I deserve to be selfish for just a little while,” she nearly shouted, her face flushed with anger as she threw her hands up. “Do you know just how much I gave to our relationship, to Percy? I gave him everything I had, he took everything, and I gave it to him willingly, and I never thought about myself because I loved him!”

She forged on ahead when Jason merely stared at her, his brows flown upward and his lips parted in surprise. “I gave, and I gave, and I gave until I had nothing left. Don’t you get that? I have _nothing_ left, Jason; he has everything I’ve ever had to give, and being selfish is the only way I’ll ever get a semblance of everything I once had back.”

“I’m empty,” she rambled on, her voice lowering and cracking at the words that she had never spoken outside of her mind, and she averted her gaze as Jason’s eyes softened and the fury in her chest began to die down, dwindling flames of anger the only proof that it had been there in the first place. “I’m nothing, because he has everything.”

Jason stepped forward at that, his calloused hands grasping at her shoulders firmly, and she continued to avoid his gaze, working her throat around the lump that had suddenly formed there after her speech. “You’re wrong, Annabeth. You _are_ not empty, okay?”

Much to her dismay, she felt a familiar burning sensation in the back of her lids, and she blinked her eyes rapidly to dispel the feeling before she ventured speech once again. “But he…he has everything. He made me a stronger person, don’t you get that? Without him, I-I’m—”

“Without him, you’re still you,” Jason cut across, give her shoulders a firm, yet gentle shake as he ducked his head, attempting to capture her gaze which was still fixed stubbornly on the ground.“You are who you are today because of _yourself_. Not because of Percy, or because of anyone else, Annabeth. No one has the power to strip you of your identity unless you let them, and gods Annabeth, you can’t let Percy take that from you, you can’t let anyone take that from you, not ever.”

She blinked up at him blearily, her vision hazed by tears that she wouldn’t let fall, for fear that once she started she wouldn’t stop. “But his is taking it from me, Jason,” she breathed out, finally meeting his eyes. “I love him, and it’s ruining me, an-and I wish I could stop loving him, because he doesn’t deserve anything from me, but I _can’t_ , and it hurts…and why did he have to do this?”

Jason tugged her forward, allowing her to hide within the confines of his arms as the first tear trekked down her cheeks, cascading down her chin. And just for that moment, while they were on their own in the secluded area that felt like a whole other world, she let herself cry, let free the barrage of emotions that threatened to overtake her with her every waking moment. She let herself sob angrily, loudly, and despairingly, her hands balling into stubborn fist against Jason’s chest, unknowing of whether she wanted to push him away, or keep him close. She cried at the fact that she couldn’t be stronger, at the fact that she had let herself be played for a fool, and at the fact that she had fallen in love with Percy Jackson in the first place, and that she couldn’t stop loving him no matter how hard she tried.

She hated that she couldn’t turn the emotion, the feeling, on and off as she wished, when it benefitted her the most. She choked on the emotion clogging up her throat, and Jason was there, holding her through it as if they had been friends their whole lives, as if she hadn’t just attacked him or trying to help her.

Jason’s presence surrounded her, his arms wrapped awkwardly, yet securely around her, and it was a bittersweet. On one hand, she was thankful for him, of the fact that even though they clearly weren’t that close, he took it upon himself to make her feel better, because he was the only one who had any idea what she was going through. She couldn’t go to Piper, because while she and Piper were close, she wouldn’t get it the way Jason got it. She didn’t have to explain the situation to him because he already knew what had happened; she didn’t have to explain how she was feeling to him, because she knew he had felt the exact same way despite her previous scathing words. Just because the magnitude of her relationship with Percy had been greater than Jason’s and Nico’s didn’t mean Jason was just as hurt. She didn’t know the explicit details of their relationship, didn’t know how much Jason had put into the relationship he had with Nico, and she wouldn’t pretend to. And maybe, just maybe they would get to that point where he could share the details of their relationship with her, and vice versa, because it was so much easier to talk when the other person had some semblance of what you had gone through.

But the bitter part of it was that even while he was his own person, he reminded her so much of Thalia, that through the pain of thinking of Percy, a fresh wave of loss hit her, making her breath stuttered in her chest.

And in the back of her mind, she faintly realized that Jason had probably brought her here to this quiet, secluded little spot on purpose, with this thought in mind. To make her _feel_ , she thought bitterly. And that just made her tears fall faster, for the fact that he could see through her, just as he had said, just like his sister could, and that he could see just how far she had fallen into a pit of despair she hadn’t known she was transcending into.

“You’re not nothing, Annabeth,” Jason murmured softly, hesitantly after a while of silence in which her tears slowly began to lose their harsh edge and she began to breathe deeply, slowly beginning to catch her breath, and Annabeth hid her face further in the confines of his chest a deep sense of embarrassment rooted itself within her as a result of crying—and not just any crying, ugly crying—all over the son of Jupiter. “You’re just as special with or without Percy, I hope you know that. Percy doesn’t define who you are. No one does, and you should never let someone determine your sense of self worth, okay?”

She nodded her head slowly, not quite registering his words as she allowed herself to become lost in thought. Maybe, Jason Grace was more genuine than she originally thought, because in the midst of her darkness and despair, he had reached out his hand like a beacon of light with a promise of aid despite everything she had said to him. There was more to him that met the eye she realized as his arms tightened around her unsurely. She allowed herself to simply feel within the encirclement of his arms, something that she had never imagined possible; she distantly hoped that she would be able to learn more about him, to get to know who he really was behind that strong exterior.

And maybe, just maybe, she would let him get to know her too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you thought about this chapter! I was pretty unsure about it and felt like I kinda rushed the ending, so feedback would be very greatly appreciated.  
> Annnd, I can assure you all that quests and such will be coming in the next chapter. I was originally planning on putting it into this chapter, but that would have made it at least 20k plus words, because when I get going, I really don't stop. x ]
> 
> Alright, thanks for reading, and thanks for your patience during the long wait. I already have about a 2,000 word head start on the next start, so I can assure you that the wait won't be as long as this one was, hopefully. Luff you all! <3 ; ]


	30. But if You Send for Me, You Know I'll Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So heeeeeeey, everyoneeee.  
> Ahem. It's been way, way too long since I've posted a new chapter, and I'm so very sorry for that and for going M.I.A. Life has just been so stressful in these past few months, with school, family issues, and personal issues, and I just haven't been able to find as much time to write as I would like. That along with the fact that my lovely laptop has decided to rebel against me and die five minutes after I take it off of the charger has just summed up to a bunch of stress and my life, and it's all just ugh.  
> But, the chapter is here now! And it's way longer than I anticipated it would be. Just over 15k. Whew.  
> Okay, so no more stalling or any of that, I'll let you guys get to reading.  
> Thanks to Fakeimproviser for critiquing and helping out with this chapter, it means a lot.  
> As always, praise is loved, suggestions are appreciated, and criticism is welcomed, and thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, kudo-ing, bookmarking, etc., and especially for your patience while I worked on this chapter. ENJOY!  
> *The title of this chapter is a lyric from Lana Del Rey's song, "Old Money". All rights to her.*  
> -  
> ~*~ : signifies a change in POV's  
> ~ : signifies a change in time, POV is still the same

When Percy turned to see Jason coming back to the Big House with Annabeth in tow, he wasn’t quite sure who he wanted to hit more; Jason, or himself. His eyes narrowed on the duo as Jason stepped aside, allowing Annabeth to make her way up the porch steps, hesitantly placing his hand on her shoulder and drawing her attention to him as he murmured something inaudible to her that made her hesitate before she drew herself up to her full height with a small nod of acknowledgement. He knew for a fact that he had no reason to be upset, but that didn’t stop the flames of jealousy from seeping into his core, making his hands tighten on the arms of his chair, averting his gaze when the two finally made their way onto the porch.

You couldn’t tell that there was anything different between the two at first glance as they took a seat by one another, Frank humbly moving down a chair in order to make room, but Percy knew better. You didn’t date someone for years and _not_ know any better. Percy knew for a fact that Annabeth and Jason had never been close. That wasn’t to say that they didn’t get along, but he knew that they never sought out one another’s company unless it was necessary. Yet here they were, side-by-side with Jason passing Annabeth troubled glances every once in a while, and Annabeth pretending that she didn’t notice the son of Jupiter worrying over her. And that was what he was doing, wasn’t it? He might not be the most perceptive person, but he knew concern when he saw it, and those looks that Jason was passing the daughter of Athena were most certainly concerned.

He swallowed with some difficulty at the realization, his gaze fixed on the few shards of glass that remained on the well worn wood of the porch from where Jason’s glass had toppled off of the table. It contented him to know that someone was looking after Annabeth, but then again, he wished that someone could be him. He knew how hard it was for Annabeth to open up to someone, and he couldn’t help but wonder what Jason had done to get her to open up to him, someone who she was merely acquainted with. How did he coax open her tough exterior? If it was anything like the way he did it, then Jason would have had to talk gently, yet firmly to her, comforted her, held her in his arms and whispered to her, and he most certainly would have kissed her.

“Percy.”

He blinked once, only slightly startled as his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the camp activity director, finding those wizened eyes trained on him with a hint of amusement in their depths that quickly morphed into concern as they locked gazes. “We were just getting ready to discuss the details of your trip to the Underworld once more; I merely thought that it would be a conversation that you would be interested in.”

His gaze drifted off once again, completely against his will, and his eyes landed on Annabeth, who seemed to tense up as if she could sense his heavy gaze on her, imploring her to just _look_ at him. What had she and Jason done? If she just looked at him, maybe he would be able to tell. “Yeah,” he murmured after a moment, sinking back into his chair and forcing disappointment not to taint the tone of his voice. “I’m ready.”

“Wonderful.” Chiron turned to Jason, as if sensing Percy’s suddenly somber mood, a small frown tilting down the corners of his lips momentarily. “You said Hades and Persephone requested your assistance in finding Nico, yes?”

“They more of demanded it, but yeah, you’re pretty much right,” Jason said, shooting Leo a glare with little to no heat behind it when the son of Hephaestus snickered softly, not even making an attempt at being inconspicuous. “Something funny, Robin?”

Leo stopped laughing for long enough to answer, his ochre eyes twinkling with humor that seemed a little off to Percy today as he held up his index finger. “For starters, we both know that _I’m_ the Batman in this friendship, Grace, and next,” Leo held up a second finger with a wicked smirk playing on his lips, ignoring the roll of Jason’s eyes as he continued, “Even his parents have you wrapped around their little fingers. I don’t know whether to laugh at you or pity you!”

Piper snorted, her brows lifting in a mischievous manner that all but screamed “Leo”, seeing as the two seemed to be spending so much time together as of late. “As if you aren’t at Calypso’s beck and call, lover boy. If she called for you right now, you’d be falling over yourself to get onto the first flight to Ogygia.”

Laughs resounded around the table, Percy’s lips barely quirking up at that and at the way Leo seemed to huff indignantly. “First of all, there are no planes to Ogygia, Beauty Queen, and secondly, damn right I’d be there. That girl has one hell of a temper,” he grinned knowingly at Jason, his brows wiggling suggestively. “It’s hot.”

Chiron cleared his throat pointedly, drawing the attention back to him, and ultimately back to the issue at hand. “Focus now, you all,” he chastised gently, “As I do believe Jason and Percy were given a limited amount of time to retrieve Nico.”

“Right,” Jason gave a small nod, looking to Chiron imploringly with those blue eyes that had been falling on Percy’s girlfriend a little too much for his liking. _Ex-_ girlfriend, he meant _ex_. “So do we, including the third demigod of course, have permission to go?”

Chiron grimaced, a painfully uncomfortable look befalling his wrinkled features as he shook his head forlornly, his hands settling into his “lap” with careful, measured movements, as if to soften the blow for what he would say next. “I’m afraid not, Jason.”

Silence ensued around the table at those words that no half-blood around thought they would hear coming from Chiron, and Percy sat forward, shaking his head adamantly as if to dispel the words that the centaur had just spoken. There was no way he could have heard that come out of Chiron’s mouth. “Here, I’ll be the one to say what everyone’s thinking right now,” he started, his brows creasing with astonishment. “ _What_?”

Chiron raised his hands helplessly, a soft sigh falling from his lips as he looked around at the half-bloods gathered before him. “The decision is out of my hands. I’ve been ordered to ward off the camp temporarily by the day after tomorrow, no later than evening from any immortal who is not I, Mr. D, or the protector the gods choose to send to help defend the camp. Not even Zeus himself will be able to step foot on the camp grounds once the task is finished.”

Frank held up a hand at that, looking just as baffled as Percy felt as his mouth worked silently for a moment, undoubtedly deciding how best to breach the topic. “So…you mean to tell me that the _gods_ ordered you to do this, to lock us up inside of camp? To _protect_ us? What’s the catch?”

The centaur nodded, visibly wincing at the wording of Frank’s question, his shoulders lifting with a deep breath. “I know this is very surprising, but yes, they did. And they will not allow me to permit anyone to step foot outside of the wards, because once you do, you can’t come back in until things are safe again, and who knows how long that could take. And from what I know, there is no catch.”

Before anyone could speak again, Chiron was plowing onward, watching each demigod apologetically as he continued. “Even Camp Jupiter is undergoing such precautions; therefore you will very much be on your own, at the mercy of any monster who wishes to find you if you leave. Not to mention you’d virtually be walking into the abductor’s hands.”

Percy spoke up at last, a dubious expression marring his features as he curled his fingers around the edge of the table absently. “I don’t think you’re getting this, Chiron. It’s not a case of us just wanting to get Nico because we miss him—don’t get me wrong, I _do_ want him back,” he took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue as he felt Jason’s gaze narrowing on him and caught Annabeth’s chest rising sharply with a hitched breath as well as Hazel’s intense gaze boring into him. “But it’s a matter of _needing_ to get him back more than wanting to. Do you have any idea the type of wrath Hades will inflict on the earth if he doesn’t get Nico back? And it’s not just Hades we have to worry about, it’s Persephone too. And I don’t know about you guys, but the idea of a bunch of dead guys scouring the planet and killing anything in their path to get to one demigod doesn’t really do it for me.”

“Yeah, but the demigod that they’ll be looking for sure does,” Leo murmured venomously, his eyes fixing innocently on his tool belt as Jason’s gaze whirled over to him, his blue eyes darkening and his back straightening as if someone replaced his spine with a steel rod.

“Leo,” he snapped, the name dangerously low rolling off the tip of his tongue as he kept his gaze fixed on his best friend, Percy’s mouth suddenly drying up as he registered the words the younger camper had just spoken. So he knew too. Of course he knew, he was Jason’s best friend, he shouldn’t have been surprised that Jason would be the first one Jason told about he and Nico. Faintly he wondered not for the first time when the realization had dawned on Jason or if Nico himself had admitted to his wrongs. But he supposed he didn’t matter right now. “Cut it out.”

The son of Hephaestus merely cut Percy a glare that had him mentally recoiling before rolling his eyes, his attention fixed on somewhere off in the distance and his dark brows creased with frustration at being chastised. “Yeah, whatever.”

Percy swallowed carefully as he felt a few sets of eyes fall on him, and he carefully kept his gaze fixed on a worn spot on the table, his mouth sealed shut tight after Leo’s comment.

“Percy is right.”

He couldn’t help himself as he looked up at the first words Hazel had spoken since they had all gathered, and he found the daughter of Pluto watching him intently in return before she turned back to Chiron. “Knowing my father, he’ll do just as Percy said, and probably worse. Not only that, I’m almost positive Pluto— _Hades_ —wasn’t asking kindly that they find Nico. He demanded it, meaning that there would be a punishment if they didn’t find him in the time given.”

Jason nodded along with Hazel’s words, an undoubtedly unconscious wince contorting his features as Piper made a small sound of concern. “We’re virtually being promised death if we don’t get Nico back in two weeks. And I’m almost positive Hades _and_ Persephone will keep that promise if we don’t do as we’ve been told—heck, as we’ve been _ordered_.”

“So either way it goes, we’re dead. Either we get caught by the kidnapper, or we die by the hand of Hades. It’s all a matter of which way we chose to fall, and which death is more honorable,” Percy murmured softly, surprising even himself with the solemn words he had spoken.

“That’s…that’s _ludicrous_.” Annabeth planted her hands on the table firmly after a moment of contemplative silence, her eyes fixed on Chiron with a furious desperation that Percy knew was meant for him. And he wouldn’t mind that gaze on him, no matter how venomous it was, he just knew it would never come because Annabeth couldn’t even be bothered to look at him—couldn’t _stand_ to look at him most likely. “So the end all and be all is _Nico_ , is that what everyone is saying?”

Chiron sighed, raising his hands in placating gesture as his brows crinkled with the exhaustion that was a given whenever one came around their group. Well, that’s what one got when they decided to work at a camp full of teenagers; endless angst. “Annabeth, please—”

“No, you know, I think I’d like to hear an answer to that too,” Leo cut in, an air of bitterness underlying his mockingly upbeat tone. “Why is it that after Nico is taken that we decide to kick start things into action, huh? Dozens of demigods have gone missing, _dozens_ , but because Nico is gone we decide that it’s time to start cracking down, is that it?”

Leo jerked his hand off of the table when Piper attempted to settle hers atop his in an attempt to smother his rapidly rising temper. “Leo, you need to relax,” Piper urged him lowly, warily as she eyed the table, and the scent of charred wood reached Percy’s nostrils, and he looked down at the table to see the shape of one of Leo’s hands burned into the wood just as Piper attempted to draw a rather obstinate Leo’s attention to it as well as if it were proof of just how much he needed to get himself under control.

But right now, Leo just didn’t seem to care.

“I’m fine, Beauty Queen, I’m just really, _really_ just sick of everything revolving around Nico. Here everyone is, ready to give up their lives for a boy who does nothing but ruin everyone else’s—”

“You’d better stop right there, Valdez if you know what’s good for you.” Drew stared icily at the son of Hephaestus, her gaze not quite giving away her emotions as she spoke up for the first time since Jason had…well; since Jason had oh-so _kindly_ let her know just how he felt about her.

Leo gave a harsh laugh at that, looking around the table as if he couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of Drew’s mouth. “Are you kidding me? How the hell can you sit here and defend this kid after all he’s done—after how many people he’s crushed, and relationships he’s ruined?” Leo leaned back in his chair, meeting Drew’s glare head on. “Hell, I’m willing to bet he hasn’t even been kidnapped, he’s probably just off hiding in a ditch somewhere waiting for this whole thing to blow over. You know how I know that?”

He didn’t wait for anyone to speak, his spine straightening as he spat out words that had Drew jumping up from her seat and Hazel’s face morphing into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage. “ _Because that’s what cowards do_.”

Drew’s lips were drawn back in a rather menacing snarl that was in no way diminished by the hot pink lipstick on her lips, her hands clenched into fists by her sides, and her knuckles paling with the strain. “You son of a—”

“And _you’d_ better stop right there if you know what’s good for _you_ , Drew,” Piper cut in sharply, her eyes suddenly blazing as she took up a protective stance at Leo’s side.

“Oh bite me, you off brand wearing—”

 “Be quiet, Drew!” Annabeth snapped, glaring at the daughter of Aphrodite with an ire that Percy had never seen before, and had his eyes widened slightly at the venom dripping from her voice. “Not everyone is _dying_ to give up their lives to save Nico’s oh-so wonderful ass, get over it.”

Percy swallowed carefully as the daughter of Athena glared around the table, her gaze purposefully skipping over him in a way that had his shoulders tensing, and he sat forward in his seat as he licked his lips carefully, preparing himself for speech. “Annabeth, I think—”

“Oh, I’m so sorry; did I offend you by talking about Nico’s ass? My fault, I forgot that that was your area of expertise,” she drawled, her gaze suddenly snapping across Percy—never directly at him—and her words coming out almost automatically as if she knew that Percy was getting ready to comment. “You can take it away from here.”

Percy caught Jason averting his gaze stubbornly, a flush of what he could only guess was humiliation working its way up his neck as Leo cackled, and Piper gaped, her eyes going from him, to Percy, oblivious to their best friend’s flush of humiliation creeping up his neck and the grimace making its way onto his features. “B-But,” she started slowly, her eyes settling on Jason unsurely. “I thought that you and Nico were…?”

“You know what, Annabeth? Out of all of us here, I would have thought that you would have been the most levelheaded one, the one most likely to put their feelings aside in order to do what’s right, to _save a life_.” He barely recognized the calm tenor of his voice as he stared across the table at his ex-girlfriend, catching the slight tremors at the corners of her eyes as she struggled to keep her gaze averted.

Annabeth visibly took a deep breath before she spoke, her gaze gliding around the table a purposefully skipping over Percy once again. “I don’t think any of you realize that we’re only trying to protect you. By going to save Nico you’re putting your life at—”

“That’s not exactly true and you know it,” Percy cut across smoothly, his hands clenching beneath the table, the only sign of his tenseness as Annabeth purposefully ignored him, not bothering to address him properly with her answer. “I’ll never understand what we put you through, but—”

Annabeth started to stand up, her head shaking adamantly and her arms tensing as she carefully pushed herself up from her chair. “I don’t think you all realize that it’s not about that—”

“Bullshit.” Percy found himself moving as well, mirroring her movements, a hollow feeling rooting itself in his chest and a tang desperation on the back on his throat. He just needed her to look at him, for some reason that he truly couldn’t explain. Maybe it was because he needed to see it in her eyes that it was truly over, or maybe it was because he needed to try and understand just what he had done to her, how much he had hurt her because he knew he would never understand it unless it happened to him. Maybe it was just because he missed the way those heather gray eyes used to fall on him so freely, and he would give anything to get that back.

Annabeth’s hands were clenching and unclenching now as she slowly skirted around the table, her eyes fixed on the stairs of the porch, her body poised to flee as Percy’s movements continued to match her own. He knew simply by the look in her eyes that she wasn’t running because she was afraid, no, that wasn’t Annabeth. She was running because that perfectly neutral veneer that she had so carefully crafted was threatening to crumble in light of Percy’s goading and insistence. “It’s not like that,” she insisted, her voice a low hiss and making Percy’s brows rise as she gave no further explanation.

“Then what is it like, explain your reason then.”

Distantly, he heard Piper’s voice, soft and uncomfortable as he continued to move around the table: “I think we should go. This doesn’t sound like it’s only about the quest anymore.”

But nobody moved, nobody dared to inch back and into the way of the two teens—ultimately the line of fire—as Percy drew closer to Annabeth, and Annabeth unwittingly drew closer to him, almost near the exit now, her eyes never leaving the stairs of the porch, stubbornly staying away from the son of Poseidon.

“I don’t have to explain anything to anyone—”

“Yes you do, especially if someone’s life is hanging in the balance. You’re a daughter of Athena, explaining things are your specialty, so let’s hear it.” He was goading her now, he knew he was, but he couldn’t stop himself. Anything to just get her to look at him, to address him beyond the bitter insults she had slung his way.

They were nearly around the table now, Annabeth’s lips tightening before she answered. “I’m trying to—”

“Trying to what?”

Their voices were growing louder though they were both beyond the point of caring at this moment, their forms tensing, and Percy barely registered someone’s hand flying out to grasp his forearm, to hold him in place and keep away from the daughter of Athena who looked like she was on the verge of giving into the emotions that she was trying to keep concealed under her stern façade. But he shook them off, because he wouldn’t stop, not only because he needed Annabeth to look at him, but because he needed her to realize just how ridiculous she was, he needed her to realize that by leaving Nico in harm’s way, she wasn’t simply spiting him, she was hurting Nico’s family and the people who loved him.

“Letting Nico get hurt wouldn’t be getting back at me, Annabeth—”

“I’m not trying to get him—”

“Don’t lie, just tell me.”

He could hear the loud baritone of his voice in his ears, could see the way Annabeth only tensed up defiantly as he got louder and more insistent, and he steeled himself for what biting words would undoubtedly come.

“I don’t owe anyone anything, much less an explanation.” Annabeth’s voice was sharp and cold, and undoubtedly sounded emotionless to most around the table, but Percy could hear the underlying emotion that he had become so accustomed to detecting in the past few years of not only dating her, but simply knowing her. “I don’t owe anyone a _damn_ think after what… _they_ did to me. So fuck you—”

 “Dammit, Annabeth, look at me!” he exploded suddenly, his anger suddenly rising over his desperation because she wasn’t getting it, wasn’t getting the fact that this whole situation wasn’t about their relationship and the mistakes he had made, it was about saving Nico, not for his own personal gain, but because it was the right thing to do. “The least you can do is address me when you’re—”

“Address you?” Annabeth seethed, her face flushed as she suddenly turned to him, her eyes boring into his and stealing his breath away like it always did, like it always _would_. But not for the reasons it usually did, no, this time it was because of the sheer amount of loathing that he saw in her eyes—loathing that was directed at him. “What the hell are you expecting me to say?”

He was struck speechless as her eyes bored into his, searching his face furiously for the answer to her question, and all he could do was close his mouth after it had been uselessly forming around words that he couldn’t get out.

That didn’t stop Annabeth though. She forged ahead, her eyes fiery and her face flushed as she took a step towards him, away from the porch steps now that he pushed her, had goaded her into speaking directly to him. And by the look in her eyes, he knew he would come to regret his actions sooner or later.

“Are you expecting me to look into your eyes and _melt_ back into your arms, to forgive you for what you did?” the tone of her voice simply _oozing_ mock sincerity as she snapped her fingers in an “ah-ha” sort of motion. “Perhaps you’re expecting me to look at you, to see the regret on your face and just shatter with indecision, because you’re _oh_ so sorry for hurting me, and it’s hurting you to be away from me?”

Percy found himself taking a step back in the face of her fury, swallowing carefully as she matched his step, blind of their audience much like he had been in his own anger, frustration, and desperation. “Annabeth, I—”

“No, I’ve got it! You’re expecting me to just look at you and feel my heart break all over again because I don’t have you anymore, because I made the worst decision of my life, and I need you back, because the fact that you _cheated_ on me is nothing when faced with our eternal love, yes?”

His throat had dried out long again as someone gave a surprised gasp behind them as their suspicion was undoubtedly confirmed, an aching feeling spreading through his chest because, yes, somewhere in the back of his mind, he had hoped that that would be the case, that they would overcome this because they loved one another. He had known he was an idiot for even thinking so and listening to Annabeth mock his hope only strengthened that feeling.

“You think you can wear me down, is that it?” her voice lowered as she dropped the taunting, chipper tone she had been using, her eyes hard and her voice unwavering as she glared up at him.   
“You think you can break me? Well here’s a newsflash, Perseus Jackson, you broke me once, and I’ll be _damned_ if I ever let you back in to do it again.”

She turned sharply, storming down the porch steps, and he was hot on her heels, ignoring the calls of the other demigods behind him for him to just stop, to just leave her alone for the time being, his obstinacy refusing to let him just let her walk away. Maybe it was because he was a sucker for pain, a pain that he knew her words would cause him if he kept pushing, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew was here because he truly needed to know how she felt about him, so that he could stop hoping, so that he could face his new reality; a reality without her.

 “I get that you’re upset with me, okay?” he tried to reason, though he couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice when she didn’t even turn around, continuing her march in the direction of the amphitheatre. “But you have to let it go for right now, you have to get over yourself because—”

“Get over myself?” she gritted out carefully through clenched teeth as if she couldn’t believe the words that she was repeating had dared to come from Percy’s mouth, and she planted her feet into the ground, stopping so quickly that Percy had to stumble back lest he ram straight into her. “You’re telling me to get over myself after you and him—?”

“It’s not about you, Annabeth, don’t you get that?” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation as Annabeth glared at him, her lips tightening as he continued, not giving her a chance to speak. If he didn’t say this now, he might not get the opportunity, might not receive the _gift_ of her attention again for a long time. “This is bigger than your anger towards me and Nico! You would seriously just let him die because you’re _angry_? I get it, I fucked up, we _both_ fucked up, but you need to let it go for right now, at least until things are okay again, because you’re being ridiculous. Act like the daughter of Athena you’re _supposed_ to be—”

Percy was cut off as his head snapped to the side, his cheek flaring from where Annabeth’s palm had suddenly landed, and rather soundly at that. He turned, forcing his expression to remain impassive as he moved to look at her, from where she suddenly stood at in front of him, her hand still raised and quivering as if that one blow had drained her. Or maybe it was from the exertion of attempting to keep herself from striking him again. After all, she certainly looked like she wanted to.

He met her gaze unblinkingly, forcing himself to keep still while his hand itched to be raised, for his fingertips to skim over the burning skin because the fact that Annabeth had hit him, had actually hit him, seemed so surreal, he needed to make sure that this was all real, that it wasn’t his imagination making up the brewing tears in Annabeth’s eyes that only seemed to add fury in her gaze. “Feeling better?” he asked, carefully keeping his voice devoid of any emotion.

She shook her head, frustration evident in the simple movement. “Are you really stupid enough not to understand what you did to me, and how it made me feel?” Annabeth hissed, her eyes shimmery but unwavering nonetheless as she lowered her hand to her side slowly.

“I do—”

“No you don’t! You’ll never understand what you put me through, Percy, what you’re _still_ putting me through. You think all the hurt that you caused me ends with an apology? You think the fact that you cheated on me, and lied to me disappears because you’ve apologized?”

She didn’t give Percy the chance to answer, though he was sure that he wouldn’t have been able to given the opportunity, so he swallowed carefully, remaining silent as she forged ahead, not only because he was at a loss for words, but because somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he would never truly understand what Annabeth was going through—what he had knowingly _put_ her through—so he could at least _try_ to understand, to get a semblance of how she felt.

“Well, it doesn’t, it keeps hurting, and it keeps festering, and growing, and it _hurts_. It’s tearing me apart, eating me up on the inside and it won’t stop no matter how hard I try to make it. And it’s only been a few days in the grand scheme of things. It’s going to keep hurting, and it’s going to keep eating me up until there’s nothing else left of me.”

She reached up, tapping the side of her head with an aggression that concerned Percy so much that he nearly reached out to take her hand, to stop her until he remembered that he didn’t have that right anymore, and his hand fell back to his side limply, barely holding his ground as her glare intensified, her body tensing, as if she had sensed his intentions.

“You’ll never understand the way there’s a voice in your head that keeps telling you—telling _me_ , that somehow it’s my fault that you did this, that I never gave you enough attention, that I’m the one who pushed you away and caused you to do this. That I virtually pushed you into Nico’s bed.

“You’ll never understand how much it hurt to realize that every day when you hugged me, and you kissed me, and you told me that you loved me, that you were probably doing and saying the exact same thing to Nico. You’ll never understand how hard it is to come to accept the fact that the person you imagined spending years with, gods, the rest of your _life_ with won’t be that person anymore, that the person who you fell head-over-heels for is nothing but a liar—”

His breath hitched in his chest, the blood draining from his face and making him unnaturally pale as she opened her mouth to continue. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this anymore, wasn’t sure that he could handle anymore. “Annabeth—”

But she didn’t stop, hell, he wasn’t sure she even was able to stop herself now that he had gotten her started. _You asked for this_ , he reminded himself, his mouth clamping shut as Annabeth’s chest rose sharply, her words continuing to flow unhindered like a current dragging him under, and he was drowning, drowning, drowning, in her words, his heart—ironically not his lungs—screaming for reprieve.

“And he could have been cheating on you this whole time. It hurts to sit and think about every encounter you’ve had with Nico and wonder just when you realized that you wanted him, that you wanted him enough that you disregarded how I felt to get him. That you risked our relationship, and our years of friendship before that just to have him,” Annabeth sucked in a sharp breath, a bitter, watery smile stretching out and wobbling over her lips as she spread her hands helplessly. “And then I have to realize that you probably didn’t love me at all, because if you loved me, you would never have done this to me.”

The lump that had been clogging his throat before then abruptly disappeared at her words, at her accusation. “That’s not true,” he reached out, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her lightly, choosing to ignore the way she flinched back from his touch, his eyes boring into hers as he tried to get her to understand, if not with his words, then by his actions. “You _know_ that it’s not true.”

“I don’t know _what’s_ true. How do you expect me to believe anything that’s ever come out of your mouth after what you did?”

“I told you that I loved you before this—

“That doesn’t matter! You could have been lying to me this whole time,” Annabeth threw her hands out, shoving him back, and Percy could feel her hands trembling with the momentary contact between them before he stumbled back. “Do you see now, do you see what you did to me? You’ve fucked me up, screwed with my head, the one thing that I’ve always had even when I had nothing else. I don’t know what’s true anymore, I don’t know what’s a lie, it’s not just you that I’m questioning anymore, it’s _everyone_ , and you did this, you—”

“What do you want me to do, Annabeth?” his eyes searched hers, his hands itching to reach out and touch her even if he knew she would push away from him seconds later as if his touch seared her skin. “What can I do fix this?”

Annabeth held up her hand to silence, and in the moment it took him to blink her face was blank, her eyes closed off, empty as she stared at him, as if he wasn’t even worth the impassive stare she was leveling him with now as her hand was lowered to her side, and even that simple movement looked mechanical. Her uncaring façade was back, not as strong as it was last time, but there nonetheless.

Annabeth smiled, and the action was all teeth and tight lips, and Percy noticed the look in her eyes as the same one she was used when faced with a problem that she didn’t quite care for; and never before had he been that problem. “I want you to take it back, take back what you did; I want you to change things so that it never happened,” her head tipped to the side sharply, the smile dropping from her face in that instant as she folded her hands before her primly, her form stiff and uncomfortably straight. “But you can’t do that, can you? So I don’t want you to do anything but leave me the hell alone, because I meant what I said; I’d be damned if I ever let you back in to hurt me again.”

He watched as she turned away, his heart in his throat, and a painfully familiar stinging feeling irritating his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, sucking in a sharp breath that made his lungs seize uncomfortably. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her retreating form no matter how much more it made him hurt to see her leaving him, in the physical sense as well as the emotional sense.

She wanted nothing to do with him anymore; she had made that much clear. And if he truly wished to do what was in her best interests, he would leave her alone, would keep his distance, because as she had said, he was breaking her, was ruining her, and that was something that he never wanted to do, something he could never forgive himself for doing.

He inwardly berated himself as he felt a pang of sadness flash somewhere within himself because his pain was nothing next to Annabeth’s, was utterly ridiculous next to hers because he was the one who had done all of this. He was the only reason that Annabeth wanted nothing to do with him anymore, was the reason that she didn’t want to be with him anymore, and so he had no reason to be upset, because this was all his doing. And he had to suffer the consequences for that.

He shuffled back in the direction of the Big House, he didn’t know why he did it because he was sure he looked an absolute mess, and yet he kept moving, kept going until he reached the steps of the porch, the scuffing of his shoe against the worn wood enough to draw the attention of the motley group around the table.

“Percy?”

It was Frank who was saying his name, so carefully and cautiously as if he was afraid that he’d spook him if he spoke too loudly. And Percy realized that he probably didn’t do as good of a job of rearranging his features into a nonchalant mask as he thought he did. Then he remembered that Frank said something, something that he was supposed to respond to, because he was here for a reason, not just to stand here like a miserable fool, but he can’t quite remember what the son of Mars said.

“Percy, son, are you all right?” this time it’s Chiron, and he’s leaning forward in his wheelchair, his lightly grey dusted brows drawing together in no-so-subtle concern.

Percy forced himself to nod his head, and he even considered adding a reassuring smile, but he just knew that he couldn’t quite muster up the energy for that right now. He didn’t have the strength for that right then, because with Annabeth gone, he feels like he has lost his backbone, his spine, like he can never support himself again, and faintly he wonders when he had become so dependent on her to the point where he felt empty without her.

But that line of thinking made him feel even more weak than he already was, so he cut it off before it could go any further.

“Where’s Annabeth?” Piper’s voice is low, suspicious, and Percy wonders why she’s using that tone with him. Then he realizes, ah, it’s because he’s hurt Annabeth before, and they don’t think he’d hesitate before doing it again.

And he doesn’t know if they’re wrong, because he feels like he doesn’t know himself anymore, feels like within these past few months, he’s lost himself, lost sight of things that he once thought were important. He’s doing things that a few months ago, he would never fathom doing, losing things, _people_ that he thought he would have for his whole life. He’s behaving in ways that would have repulsed him a few months ago, and he wonders when he started acting this way, when he turned into someone that he would be ashamed to know.

“Percy.” Piper’s voice is sharp this time, his silence giving time for her suspicion to grow. Her hands tense on the arms of her plastic lawn chair, and he can tell that she’s getting ready to stand up, to go off looking for Annabeth if he doesn’t answer her soon.

His gaze drifts off from the group gathered in front of him and to the surrounding foliage, to the distant backdrop of the cabins and such in the background. “She’s gone.”

This has Piper standing up abruptly, her flimsy chair teetering on its plastic legs and nearly falling at the force behind her movement. “What do you mean she’s gone? As in she’s left the camp? Percy, what have you done—?”

“Gods, would you shut up for two seconds and let him speak?” Drew tossed a glare to Piper who returned it with every bit of heat that Drew’s contained.

“Why should I let him, after all he’s done? I’m pretty sure I already know what he’s going to say anyway,” Piper made to move toward the porch steps, her jaw set determinedly. “I’m going to find Annabeth—”

“She wants to be alone right now.” His voice sounded dead, flat, to his own ears, but he couldn’t muster up enough emotion to put behind his words, and he wasn’t very inclined to try. “She just needs…needs some time to get herself together before she sees anyone else.”

Annabeth hadn’t said that, but he knew her, you didn’t date someone or know someone for years and _not_ know them. He knew that she would want some time to get herself together, to regain herself, and reconstruct that mask that she only let slip around a select few, a select few that he was no longer a part of.

“But what _happened_?” Frank pressed gently, a mix of concern and curiosity on his features.

He couldn’t help the way his voice came out, raspy and pathetic, or the way his gaze sunk lower his hands clenching from where they were hidden within the pockets of his jeans. “We’re done. We’re really done.”

His words were met with silence, and in the quiet, he couldn’t force himself to lift his gaze, to stare into the faces of the people before him who he had undoubtedly disappointed.

Leo snorted, the first to break the fragile silence that had fallen, and Percy could hear him shifting in his squeaky chair, and he dared a glance upward to find with dark brows raised unsympathetically. “Well, of course you are, what did you expect? Annabeth is not some ditzy chick you just picked up somewhere; she’s smart enough not to fall for your crap twice.”

“Leo,” Chiron snapped, one of the few times Percy had ever heard him do so, and the son of Hephaestus huffed stubbornly, throwing his hands up in aggravation, his face scrunching up in aggravation at the stern chastising tone of Chiron’s voice.

“What? You all know I’m right.”

Percy swallowed with some difficulty, his clammy hands clenching and unclenching within his pockets, because he _was_ right, no matter how much he didn’t want to hear those words, no matter how harsh they were, he knew that Leo was right. He sucked in a sharp breath, giving his head a small, affirmative nod, forcing his gaze up to meet Leo’s. “Of course.”

He ignored the almost petulant glare Leo tossed his way, undoubtedly irritated that Percy had decided to agree with him rather than oppose him as he had probably wanted. But what was the use in arguing when Leo was right? He didn’t want to accept it, didn’t want to hear it, but he was so, so right.

 He shoved his hands a little deeper into his pockets, deeply inhaling deeply in order to steel himself, to keep himself on track. Just a little bit longer and he would be able to escape the looks on those faces, looks that he had never imagined he would ever see from the people he considered to be his friends. “I…I just wanted to let you all know.”

His sweat damp fingers clenched around empty air when his pulled them out of his pocket, a deep yearning tugging deep in his gut and as he inhaled again, and he swore he could pick up the scent of the lake over everything else, he swore he could already feel the water moving through his fingers, surrounding him and welcoming him, filling every little crevice around him, not even leaving room for his thoughts.

And that was just what he needed. More than he realized.

“…cy?”

Chiron was watching him with an odd look on his face, a mix of concern and confusion, but Percy knew what else he saw there, could see the disappointment lying within the lines of his face, behind the concern and confusion in his face and in his eyes. And he had to get away from that.

“I need to go.”

Frank frowned deeply, his brows crinkling further with confusion and concern, and his eyes desperately darting to Hazel for support. “Go? Where to?”

“I just need to go.”

“I don’t understand, Percy, don’t go—”

“Ah, let him leave,” Leo cut across, his arms crossing over his chest matter-of-factly as he cocked a single brow in Percy’s direction. “He’s just fishing for some sympathy and for someone to beg for him to stay. I don’t think he realizes that no one gives a—”

“If that sentence ends in an explicative, I advise you not to finish it,” Chiron warned evenly, his gaze sliding over to Leo in a quelling manner before he turned back to look at Percy. “Percy, we have other matters we have to attend to, you won’t stay just a moment longer—”

“No.” He winced at his own shortness, shaking his head quickly and running a slightly frantic hand through his head. “I-I mean I can’t…I just can’t right now. I’m sorry.”

He took a deep breath as he turned, the yearning in his gut increasing until the desire to be away, to be in water, practically _burned_ inside of him, making him quicken his pace, helping him to ignore the gazes that he could feel burning holes into the back of his head. He made his way to the lake, the everyday sounds of the camp falling on deaf ears, blind to everything and everyone but the direction he was going in. A couple of times, he could have sworn he heard his name distantly being heard, but he never stopping or paused in his movements because right now, at the this very moment, nothing was as dire as him getting to lake and being able to feel the water against his skin. He kept moving, and soon enough he had gotten close enough to the lake where the only sounds he registered was the soft sound of the waves lapping against the shore; it probably should have been concerning that he had so easily drowned out his surroundings, until all he saw and heard, until all he _cared_ about was being in the water, but he couldn’t find himself to care right now, because at this moment, he was truly convinced that being in the lake would give him the peace he was seeking since he had begun this whole mess.

He stopped at the edge of the pier, closing his eyes against the image that had popped up before his eyes by merely standing here. The image—the _memory_ —of standing here with Annabeth many months ago, holding her close, securely in his arms as a smile lifted the corners of his lips in response to her delighted laugh as she tipped her head back, she and Percy swaying to some unheard music. He remembered the way he had carefully spun her around, pulling her back in his arms, her weight pressed against him a great comfort after everything they had gone through, knowing that she had come out all right, that they both had come out all right.

‘I love you, Seaweed Brain,’ she had said, tipping her head back to meet his eyes, that contagious smile still on her lips, and causing his to grow. _He_ had put that look on her face once, had her laughing until she was breathless, her arms wrapping around him the same way his had wrapped around hers.

But now things were different. Now instead of the smile he put on her face, he made tears slip down her face, an anguish too real and potent that it burned his chest, instead of making her laugh until she was breathless, he made her sob until she couldn’t breathe, and instead of having her in his arms, he had her so far away from him, because she couldn’t bear to be near him anymore. He had done that.

He sucked in a sharp breath that got stuck in his chest, and when he opened his eyes, he found his vision clouded with tears and the sharp taste of salt potent on the tip of his tongue. He felt that painful tugging in his gut again, and as he stared out over the surface of the lake, he noticed that way the waves hit the shore with a little more aggression than before, and in the back of his mind, he knew that it was his doing. It didn’t dawn on him that he needed to relax, that he needed to get his emotions under wraps especially while standing so near to a place that would so easily bend to his will, intentional or unintentional.

He just kept delving further into his memories, nearly oblivious to the dampness of his cheeks and the moisture clinging to his lashes.

He remembered first meeting Annabeth, the way they hadn’t initially gotten along. He remembered his denial at his slowly developing crush on her. He remembered his and Annabeth’s kiss at the bottom of the lake following the end of the Titan War. He remembered his franticness at celebrating their first ever anniversary together. He remembered finally remembering exactly who she was after Hera had taken away his memories and he had finally gained them back. He remembered their reunion. He remembered falling asleep next to her in the Pegasus stables on the Argo II. He remembered the first time he realized he was in love with her, with this girl who he had gone through everything with. He remembered the first time they had gone all the way, remembered the shakiness of his fingers and the trusting smiles.

What had happened to him? When had he become this person that he would be so ashamed to know? At some point, he was sure he had seen a few naiads popping their heads out of the water, their murky eyes searching the skies for the cause of the disturbance of the waters, but when their eyes fell to him, the true cause of all the increasingly violent waves crashing in every which way, they ducked back beneath the surface, wisely staying out of the line of fire.

Percy tried to reel it in, to get his emotions under wraps, he truly did. But every time he was on the verge of containing the tumultuous sensation, another thought, another realization sprung to the forefront of his mind, and the fragile balance he had created within himself came crashing down again, and again.

He was choking on his grief, on his regret and anger. His desperation was a noose and the water spread out before him was salvation. The sound of the brutal waves around him never distracted him from his thoughts; if anything it offered him solace to know that the emotions inside of him weren’t the only things that were raging around him.

He fought to get his shoes off as he stared at the waters before him, never backing down from his anguished gaze. He remembered something his mom had said long ago, something about how similar he was to the water, never taking a definite shape no matter the containment, never heeding to anyone but itself, fierce one moment and calm the next; beautiful but dangerous. That thought was nearly comforting to him, the memory of his mother’s fond, amused voice, until he really began to think about his mom, thinking about how disappointed she would be to know the person he had unknowingly become.

And that’s the last straw. He couldn’t be sure whether he screamed or not when he raised his hand, the water bending under his will. He was no longer sure whether the wetness on his cheeks was from the rebellious drops of water that splashed up at him or his tears. He wasn’t sure whether the furious sound around him was the crashing of waves or him screaming. He was just so angry, so desperate, and confused, and he was so fucking disappointed in himself. So with a sharp breath and with a running start, he launched himself into the waters depths and just let himself feel, taking his internal battle beneath the surface with him

~*~

“Well good riddance to him.”

Leo was the first one to speak up after the fragile silence that had fallen after Percy’s departure. And Jason finally found his voice, his hands clenched tightly in his lap as he turned to stare at his friend.

Leo met his gaze, shrugging carelessly, mellowing down since Percy was no longer in his presence. “I could tell he wanted our pity after everything he’s done. Well screw that, he won’t be getting anything from me.” He turned away from Jason, meeting the gazes of each and every person at the table, “And neither will Nico, because at this point, he deserves whatever happens to him

“You know what? I’m getting really, really, sick of this.” Jason’s flat, tense words cut off the tirade Drew was sure to have opened her mouth to begin, and had his friend straightening in his seat as he met the blonde’s gaze head on, a startled but stubborn fire in Leo’s ochre ones.

He forged ahead, his clenched fists chaffing the fabric of his jeans against his legs unintentionally. “You don’t know Nico. You’ve never taken the time to get to know him, but now that this is happening you seem know all about him. Hell, all you know about him is from what you’ve heard.”

“I don’t need to know a thing about him to realize he was a sorry excuse for a friend—or whatever the heck he was—to you. You must have forgotten then that _I_ was the one who saw him and Percy making out that day while you were in your cabin having a freaking nervous breakdown, and I’m willing to be that they were still fucking around even after you left!”

“I’ll remind you all once more to watch your language, then there will be consequences,” Chiron cut in, his forehead pressed firmly to his palm and exhaustion etched across his features.

Leo snorted ignoring Chiron for the most part and turning an expectant look on Piper, for him to back him up, but Piper shook her head doing her best to stay silent in matters where Nico was concerned. You know, the whole “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t saying anything at all”.

Jason took a deep breath, trying to reign in his anger and frustration. He didn’t want to snap on his best friend, but the chances that he was going to keep his cool were diminishing by the second. “I still stand by what I say, Leo.”

“And that’s supposed to help his case, how?”

“Because you’ve only seen him at his worst, and because of that, you never willingly see the good in him. Nico is a good person, who’s made terrible mistakes because he’s _human_.”

“Give me a break; how the hell can you forgive him so easily for what he did to you?” Leo snapped suddenly, his voice rising in volume as he continued. “He lied to you, Jason! He deceived you and yet you’re still over here singing his praises. Would you get your head out his ass for just a few moments and realize that the person you’re so ready to give your life up over is the same person who ruined your relationship with Piper, hell your friendship with Percy, and manipulated you for months on end, and fucking broke your heart!”

“I haven’t forgiven Nico, and hell, I don’t know if I ever will, but how can you just expect me to let him die because he hurt me?” Jason’s face was screwed up with furious disbelief as he sat forward, ignoring the gazes of everyone else around the table. “This is a life we’re talking about, Leo, and it’s not just about Nico, it’s about Thalia and the others—”

“Who says he’s even going to die?” Leo snapped, honing in on Nico once again and throwing his hands up as his frustration seemed to reach its peak. “Who says that his life is in danger? Huh? Without even knowing all the facts you just expect all of us to willingly put our lives on the line for some—”

“You’re not even listening to everything I’m saying, Leo, all you hear is ‘Nico, Nico, _Nico_ ,’ but that’s not all that I’m saying!”

“It sounds a whole lot like that’s _all_ you’re saying. Hell, do you even care that your sister is missing too? I mean gods, your head shoved so far up Nico’s ass that you’ve—”

“Don’t.”  Jason’s voice was low, dangerously so, as he leveled Leo with an icy glare. “Don’t you even go there if you know what’s good for you. Don’t you ever imply that I don’t care about my sister, or we’re done here,” he motioned between the two of them jerkily, “because that’s crossing the line and you know it.”

Leo seemed to still at Jason’s threat, his eyes wide with disbelief and before he could blink it away, Jason could have sworn his saw the makings of betrayal in there as well. But he couldn’t dwell on that, because as few seconds after the vulnerable look crossed Leo’s face, it was gone again, his eyes harder than they had been before. And that was so much easier to deal with, to argue with when Leo didn’t look as if Jason had stabbed him in the back. So he continued. “You’d do it for anyone else, put your life on the line I mean, wouldn’t you? You’re only unwilling because it’s Nico. And for what, Leo, what did he ever do to you?”

He could see Leo’s jaw clenching and unclenching before he answered, straightening in his chair. “He didn’t do anything to me; it’s what he did to _you_ and Piper, my two best friends. What kind of friend would I be to you if I let you make the mistake of going after him—?”

“Mistake?” Jason shook his head disbelievingly, “I’ve never felt more sure of anything before in my life!”

Leo made a sound of disgust, obviously irritating that Jason didn’t seem to be getting his point, or “finding reason”. “Why are you acting as if you wouldn’t do the same thing if Calypso was in Nico’s position? You know for a fact that even if Calypso had done two times the stuff that Nico has done you’d still be racing out of camp to get to her if she was in the same position as him.”

Leo slammed his fists down on the arms of his chair, his eyes fiery with irritation. “It’s different with Calypso because I love her; you don’t love Nico!”

Jason took a deep breath before he answered, attempting to make his voice calm and measured. “And who are you to decide whether or not I love him?”

“So you’re saying you love him then, is that?” Leo asked slowly as Piper looked away, her throat working slowly as she swallowed with some difficulty, “You love him after everything he did to you?”

“I never said that, I’m only trying to make the point that it’s not your place to decide whether or not I should go and get Nico, or what my decision has to be based on.”

Jason pressed his palms into his thighs as Leo opened his mouth to speak, reminding himself to keep his cool. “It may not be my place, but I sure as hell do have say-so in this. Gods, Jason! You’re my best friend. You think I’m just going to sit here while you run off to save someone who’s already proved that he couldn’t give two craps about you? We don’t even know what we’re up against here, and yet you’re ready to plough ahead, head first with a good chance that you won’t even come back alive for _him_. Do you see what he’s doing to you? The Jason I know would have a plan, he would never just charge into battle without a chance of survival, and Nico has changed that! Hell, that’s not even the only thing he’s changed!”

“You’re not even making sense at this point, Leo!” Jason’s voice was loud in his own ears, but he didn’t care at this point. “Nico hasn’t changed me in any way you could call negative. Hell, I don’t know why you’re acting that if you were in Nico’s place I wouldn’t go charging into battle without so much as an idea in my head.”

“Would you?” Leo’s voice had taken on a chillier sort of quality, and Jason couldn’t help the way he jerked back slightly at what his best friend was inferring.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ah, don’t give me that bull. You’ve known for months that things have been off between you, Piper, and I, and I’m sick of trying to play like everything is fine!”

Jason sat rigidly in his lawn chair, his voice dangerously calm when he spoke, trying to steer things back to the issue at hand; he didn’t think he could address his rocky friendship with Piper and Leo on top of this issue. “So because you’re pissed at me, you’re going to let Nico die?”

“ _Not everything is about, Nico, Jason_!” Leo slammed his hands down on the table, pushing himself up to stand with Piper at his side reassuringly. “Gods dammit, the world does not revolve around him. He’s not the only one who matters, _we_ matter too, and you matter to us.”

Leo shook his head adamantly, further mussing his unruly locks. “This is not just about Nico, and how stupid I think it is that you would go after someone who put you through half the shit that he did, it’s the fact that we care about you, and we don’t want to see you die. Especially not for someone like him!”

Jason found himself standing as well, squaring off with his best friend. He didn’t want this, didn’t want to be arguing with Leo, especially before he took on the nearly impossible task of finding Nico in the time span they were giving. He wanted his best friend’s support, not his criticism and disagreements, and even though Piper had yet to say anything on the matter, he knew that she was siding with Leo.

But his reluctance to be arguing in the first place didn’t stop him from speaking, because under no circumstances would he allow someone to speak badly about the son of Hades, especially when he wasn’t there to defend himself. “You don’t even know him, so—”

“Once again, I don’t have to know him to know that he’s a pretentious, piece of—”

“ _Enough_!” Chiron’s voice boomed over their own, making their words die in their throats as they—and everyone else around the table—turned to fix the centaur with vary degrees of incredulous looks.

“Look at yourselves!” Chiron exclaimed, his brows pinched with frustration as he motioned around the table. “You’re tearing one another down before the enemy even has the opportunity to do so. At this rate, you can forget about trying to save Nico, or the other demigods, or saving _anyone_ from the impending doom for that, because there will be no one left once you all finish destroying one another!”

“You all should be ashamed of yourselves, every single last one of you. Has it not yet dawned on you that this is not some far away dream or scenario, this is reality. Many demigods, not just Nico, have gone missing. There is chaos in Olympus because not only was a child of Hades taken, but a child of Zeus’s and more than two dozens of Apollo’s children and descendants have disappeared. And yet you all sit here and bicker over things that are so very insignificant in the face of what is occurring now.”

Leo looked away when Chiron’s gaze fell on him, scanning the table of demigods. Jason swallowed as that heavy gaze fell on him, his throat drying up and the strangest need to avert his eyes throwing itself into the forefront of his mind.

“Instead of focusing all of your attentions and energies on hating one another and tearing each other down, you’d be wise to turn all of you fury and hatred to the one who is a threat to your lives and the lives of your friends; the kidnapper.”

The centaur shook his head, suddenly looking so exhausted and fed up and Jason and Leo fell back into their seats.

“I have never been so disappointed in you lot. I was may have been mistaken to think that you all could be our saving graces once more.”

And with that, Chiron wheeled himself back into the Big House, the screen door slamming shut and seeming to echo in the silence that followed his words.

Jason sat there in stunned silence, just as quiet as everyone else, guilt tainting the back of his throat as he mulled over Chiron’s words. The centaur was so right, so, so right. What the heck were they doing, sitting here and arguing over things that were oh-so trivial in the face of the things that were going on around them. That wasn’t to say that he was wrong for standing up for Nico, or for his side do the argument, and he refused to apologize for his actions no matter what anyone said. As childish as if may have sounded, he _knew_ he was right in what he had said and he’d be damned if he just left Nico in the hands of some unknown creature, with or without Hades’ command.

But somehow his friends just didn’t seem to understand that.

He was wholly aware that maybe he looked like an idiot running off to save Nico after what he did to him, after what he put him through and after he humiliated him; he knew that. But none of that would stop him from going after him; nothing that Nico could ever do would make Jason leave him for dead. Why didn’t his friends just get that?

He knew that they had his best interest at heart, and that they were only trying to protect him, but at what cost? If it was at the expense of Nico’s, or anyone else’s life for that matter, he wanted no part in things even if it could spare him from death.

He looked up when he saw movement from across the table, watching as Leo fidgeted in his seat, his hands balled into fists on the tabletop. Jason swallowed, looking away when the son of Hephaestus looked up at him, his lips tightening and his eyes darkening as he jerked his head away after a moment of tense staring between the two. He turned to Piper catching her eyes before she tore her gaze away as well, noticing the way her cheeks colored when she realized she had been caught staring. He knew things had been off between the three of them for a while now, way before Leo had told Jason about Nico and Percy. But none of them ever brought it up; they just kept pretending that things were all right between them, that they were still the Three Musketeers, the three _amigos_.

He knew things were bound to be weird between the three of them after he and Piper had broken up, and he had anticipated the tense air between them when Jason didn’t stop hanging out with Nico after the breakup, the alleged _cause_ of the breakup. He knew that Leo was miffed at him over the breakup, whether he had outwardly said it or not, and he knew that Piper still wasn’t over it, no matter how put together and resolute she may have acted. He couldn’t blame either of them for the way that they felt, because he knew that if the positions were reversed, he would been feeling the exact same way. To make matters worse, and adding onto the fact that he hadn’t immediately cut off Nico after the incident, he realized that in a way, he hadn’t been as apologetic as he probably should have been considering the gravity of what he had done. He realized how it must have looked to Piper to see Jason and Nico practically inseparable after the end of their relationship, and it probably didn’t help things when rumors began circulating around the camp about him and Nico hooking up or some such nonsense. And Leo, being nothing less than a loyal friend, definitely side with Piper on this one, especially when Jason sort of left her behind to pick up the pieces of their broken relationship.

He had noticed Leo and Piper growing closer without him, and while it had bothered him, he simply kept pretending that things were okay between them. It had bothered him that Leo—the Batman to his Robin, his _best_ friend—seemed to be siding against him, at Piper’s side throughout the whole ordeal but never at his, but when he thought about it, he couldn’t fault Leo for that. He may have been Jason’s best friend, but he knew when Jason was wrong, and he refused to stand with him when that was the case—especially when he was wrong about something that had to do with Piper. And no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t be upset about that. Because he _was_ wrong, and no matter how much he may have liked to pretend that he isn’t, he has to be responsible for his actions. He was wrong for hurting Piper, for ruining their relationship, he was wrong for not going out of his way to make sure that she was all right after everything went down, and he was most certainly wrong for neglecting his friendship with she and Leo as long as he had been.

If he could, he would go back in a heartbeat and fix every problem he ever caused in their friendship, make it so it wasn’t so. But he couldn’t honestly say that he would go back and change the things that had to do with Nico, and that was probably the root of the problem; the fact that he was remorseful about the way things went down, but that he _wasn’t_ remorseful about them happening in the first place. Was he a bad person for feeling that way? For being so undoubtedly selfish?

It was just that Nico understood him the way no one else—save Thalia—did. He saw through the whole son of Jupiter, Golden Boy image that had with him his whole life. He knew the Jason beneath all of that and hadn’t run off, horrified to find that Jason wasn’t the guy he appeared to be. That wasn’t to say that Leo and Piper didn’t know the “real him” so to say, but it was just so different with Nico, who had a similar yet completely different image painted for him. Nico wasn’t who he appeared to be, or who people said he was, and the same went for Jason. It was one of many levels that he and Nico had connected on, and he wouldn’t trade that for anything, because having someone to just understand him was one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Had he expressed that to Leo and Piper before?

He inwardly cringed as he jolted, his hand coming up to inspect his lower lip that he had unconsciously been gnawing on to the point where it was nearly raw. He diverted his attention to Piper, who sat next to Leo, a reassuring had on his arm though her distant gaze told him that her mind was a mile away, then to Leo himself whose brows were furrowing and un-furrowing every few seconds, and Jason guessed he was feeling as conflicted as he was.

These were his two best friends, they had been through thick and thin together, through life threatening situations together and he refused to let their relationship dissolve all because of a lack of communication on his part. He had to make them understand where he was coming from with this, because he didn’t think he could handle it if he lost his best friends along with his sister and his… _Nico_ , all in the same month.

With that thought in mind, and determination hardening his eyes and tensing his form stubbornly, he sat forward, nearly on the edge of his seat as his eyed his two friends almost unblinkingly. “Leo, Piper, can I—”

The screeching of Leo’s chair against the worn wood of the porch cut of his speech, and he on, startled as Leo suddenly stood, his movement rapid and jerky and his face shadowed with annoyance as he stepped out from behind the table. “No, you can’t. I’ve had enough of this—of _you_ —for one day, I’m out of here.”

His words cut into Jason almost as much as the look of betrayal had earlier, stunning him to silence as he clambered down the steps of the porch, his back stiff and his gait uneven. Jason turned to Piper, with a look that he was sure was so pitifully pleading, and she immediately took a step back, unwittingly if the look on her face was anything to go by. “I…I…I have to go and check on him.”

She swallowed, casting him one last look before she turned and left, following down the same path Leo had taken. And then she was gone too. And his words dried up on the tip of his tongue, his flame of determination dwindling in his chest until it was nothing but a measly spark.

They wanted nothing to do with him, his two best friends who always stood by his side wanted nothing to do with him. And fuck if that didn’t hurt more than he was willing to let on.

He looked up, the shock of his realization still rooted so firmly within him that he could barely be startled when the sudden violent crashing of waves sounded from the direction of the lake.

“Gods, I’m sure that’s Percy,” Frank was already on his feet, pressing a light kiss to Hazel’s forehead, his cheeks darkening sheepishly, though he didn’t let his bashfulness deter him from his task. “I’ll go check on him; I’ll catch you guys later.”

Before he left, he clapped Jason on the shoulder, a sympathetic look on his face. “I’m sure things will work out between you three. And thank you for sticking up for Nico like that, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but it takes guts to stand up to your friends like that.”

Then it was just he and Hazel left, the look on her face indiscernible as she watched him silently for a moment, and he watched her in return, before her lips twisted into a small, knowing smile. She stood, and Jason’s first thought was that she was leaving too before she twisted, making her way towards him with a soft expression on her face.

 “I think you have some explaining to do,” Hazel said softly, placing her hand on Jason’s arm and motioning for him to stand up before nodding towards the scene beyond the porch that seemed so serene despite the chaos that was ensuing within its depths, and with a soft, conflicted sigh that nearly oozed weariness, he stood.

~*~

It had been days since he had had that dream, and yet the pleasure, the breathlessness, the confusion, and the _anguish_ had yet to fade each and every time he reminisced, the memory of those seemingly real fingertips trailing over his skin making his eyes fall shut, only to open seconds later with the vision of those blue eyes still branded in his memory. Those eyes. Those fucking eyes. They had been getting him in a lot of trouble recently, from the failed attempt of seduction, of _using_ people at the bar the other night, to spacing out for minutes at a time at the most inopportune moments.

Thus the reason why he was currently in the predicament he was in.

Nico turned calmly, barely batting an eye as he drew his legs up to his chest, pressing himself into the chaise in which he was currently seated, barely moving his bare skin in enough time to dodge the shimmering shards of glass flying around the room and smashing to the floor. Flecks of water dotted the denim of his jeans, and he blinked slowly, taking in just what Lady Goddess had destroyed in her rage this time.

He peered over the side of the chaise, blinking slowly as his eyes were drawn to the rather expensive, glimmering marble pieces that were littered along the hardwood floor. And not just any marble, the _aquatic_ marble that belonged inside of fish tanks. He leaned further over the seat, drowning out the sounds of shattering glass and furious words as he scanned the floor. He grimaced as he spotted a small fish flopping amongst the fray, barely missing a small shard of glass that the haphazard movement threatened to impale the fish on. He found his gaze softening as he unconsciously reached out, scooping the simple fish out of harm’s way and sliding on his shoes, determined to find it a new home.

He held the fish cupped in his hands, so focused on keeping it alive and not dropping it that he didn’t notice Lady Goddess rounding the corner, tears in her gown of choice, a Greek style, floor length shimmering gold dress. And what a shame too, she looked so lovely in it, at least when a snarl wasn’t marring her features like it was now. “Are you even listening to me, half-blood?”

Nico could barely find it within himself to flinch at the venomous tone of her voice, meeting her furious gaze head on as he held the fish in his hands up for her to see, a small, absent frown tilting down the corners of his lips. “You nearly killed it when you destroyed its fish bowl; will you put it back together?”

If anything her gaze only darkened, a feral growl tearing from her lips as her hand flew out, smacking into Nico’s and sending the fish flying. He watched with unblinking eyes as Lady Goddess jerked her hand violently, changing the course of the fish’s path from and clean area of the floor and sending it flying into a pile of sharpened glass, impaling it instantly. “You _ingrate_!”

Nico couldn’t peel his eyes from the animal even as a chill settled over his skin, and he became hyperaware of the fish, of its _life_ , just as it began to slip away, to die before him. He barely blinked when could feel nothing anymore, only watched on as a gradually, slowly growing stream of red trickled out from the fish, beginning to pool around the animal’s tiny form. And just like that it was gone. And all Nico could do was stand there, unfeeling— _why_ couldn’t he feel anything?

“—saved your life!” the goddess shrieked as Nico tuned back in, finally tearing his eyes from the gruesome sight as Lady Goddess shoved at him, and he could still feel that unnatural power thrumming beneath her skin. “I have given you everything, I _plan_ to give you everything, and this is how you—?”

“You killed it,” he murmured, motioning over to the where the once living creature lay.

The goddess paused, her hands freezing in motion as she stared at him, her eyes roaming over his face rapidly. He wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for on his features, but if he looked as empty as he felt he was sure she would be very disappointed. He stared back at her vacantly, watching as her brows creased, her lips tightening and her face flushing as her anger soared to new heights.

“First, you disrespect me by disappearing in the middle of a lesson that I so greatly gifted you with,” Lady Goddess’s voice had gone quiet, her words sharp and icy, yet burning and fiery, and on any other day, Nico knew he would be flinching at her tone, but right now, he simply felt nothing. It was as if he was watching everything play out from a distance, as if this weren’t happening to him right now. “Then you _dare_ to dismiss my anger as if it is misplaced?”

Nico’s gaze slid from Lady Goddess’s face as he dug his nails into the palms of his hands. Yes, he felt that, felt the slight biting pain of his nails digging grooves into his skin, pressing in unrelentingly as he stared down at his hands, staring at them as blankly as he had stared at the goddess. Before he could ponder this any further, his head snapped to the side with a loud _crack_. Gingerly, he reached up, his fingers lightly, absently skating over the place where Lady Goddess had struck him, her furious panting the only sound between them as Nico pressed down over the skin of his cheek, releasing the pressure as the stinging rose to new heights. He felt that, yes, felt the sharp stinging of Lady Goddess’s blow, but he was sure he was supposed to feel something more, _inside_. He should have felt something at the fact that he had been struck by a woman he trusted, who he trusted would never hurt him, yet he felt nothing. _Nothing_.

“You will look at me when I speak to you!” the goddess screeched, her cool façade all but vanishing, and her eyes nearly glowing with anger, and her fist—the same one that had struck him—clenched before her unwaveringly, ready to deliver another blow if he didn’t acquiesce to her wishes.

He met her eyes with his empty stare, his hands dropping to his sides as he attempted to summon up some sort of emotion as the goddess glared at him. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” she hissed, her teeth bared. “You have disappointed me, half-blood.”

Now he _knew_ he was supposed to feel something. He was supposed to care about disappointing her, about the way she spat out the words “half-blood” as if it was the worst thing in the world, as if he was the dirt beneath her feet. But he just didn’t.

“I’m not.” He looked her in the eyes as he spoke, uncaring of the way that she glowered at him. Why didn’t he _care_?

“You’re not what?” she growled out, looking as if she were ready to hit him again simply for the flat, emotionless way he spoke to her.

“I’m not ashamed.”

Lady Goddess growled, that unnatural power that Nico knew was growing day by day thrumming beneath her skin, palpable in the air around them. “You _dare_ —?”

“I can’t feel anything,” he cut across her, blinking slowly as his gaze was drawn back to the small body of the fish on the ground beside them. “I feel nothing.”

All was silent as Nico surveyed the mess of glass on the ground, his eyes always drawn back to the animal on the ground that was no more. His gaze was broken as he felt insistent hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him once to gain his undivided attention. “What do you mean you feel nothing?” the anger had all but faded from Lady Goddess’s features, anxiousness creasing her brows and replacing the fury that had once been there.

“Just as I said, I feel nothing.”

Lady Goddess shook him once again, more firmly this time, making his head bob on his neck, though his eyes remained blank. “I understand that, but I need for you to explain yourself! You cannot feel anything _how_? Physically?”

“Emotionally. You’re angry with me and I don’t care. I’m supposed to care, I know I am, but I don’t. Why?”

The goddess’s breath escaped her in a whoosh, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she tightened her hands. “Can you tell me the name of the place you were trapped in for years, Nico?”

He opened his mouth, ready to respond, but as he wracked his mind for the answer, he realized he didn’t know. Where the memory was supposed to be there was nothing but empty space. “I don’t know.”

“What is the name of your mother?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Your sister, your blood sister I mean?” Lady Goddess’s voice had taken on a rather desperate quality as panic began to brew in her eyes.

“A sister? I think you’re mistaken, I have no sister.”

Lady Goddess cursed, releasing him so quickly he nearly stumbled. “Stay here, do not move, and do _not_ leave this room.”

He barely acknowledged her words as he watched her speed out of the room, her hand flying out, and with a soft _whir_ the things the goddess’s had damaged were moving out of her way and putting themselves back together. He watched with an empty stare as the body of the fish was even replaced inside of its home, though it was not revived. It simply sank slowly to the bottom of the tank, the shards of glass that were embedded in its skin dislodging themselves and fitting themselves back into their spots on the tank. When Lady Goddess returned, the fish’s blood had infused with the water, giving it a pinkish taint.

“Sit,” she commanded, motioning him over to the elegant couch he had previously been seating on, and he did as she asked, drawing his legs up to his chest as he watched her, awaiting her next order.

He took note of the small, black velvet pouch in her hands, watched as she carefully delved her hand inside, her fingers covered in a strange shimmery powder that he faintly recognized. She placed herself down on the couch next to him, mindful of the evidently important pouch in her hands as she scooted close to her. In the back of his mind, he knew he should have felt uncomfortable with her proximity especially after she struck him, but he couldn’t even feel an inkling of the discomfort he was supposed to feel.

Lady Goddess sidled up to him, her eyes dark and searching as she scanned his features, her hands coming up carefully to clasp his cheeks as if she were afraid he would flinch back from her touch after the backhand she had delivered to him. He didn’t so much as cringe back from her, even when her fingertips skated over the area where the back of her palm had landed, the flushed skin still stinging and slightly warm to the touch. “Half-blood,” she murmured softly, remorse all but oozing from her soft tone.

And yet Nico still didn’t care. There was no fear, or hurt for her gentle, apologetic tone to assuage. There was nothing. Simply nothing.

“I need you to close your eyes for me, my dear Nico, and do not open them until I ask you to.”

He let his lids fall shut upon command, his mind still on the fact that he couldn’t feel, but also on the fact that there were spots that he knew were supposed to be in his memory that simply weren’t there. Would everything he knows disappear the way his feelings and emotions had? He had a sister, had two of them from what Lady Goddess had said, and yet he couldn’t remember a thing about them. What else was missing?

“This is going to feel strange, demigod, but despite that, I need you to be as still as possible as I fix you.”

Fix him? Was he broken? He most certainly didn’t feel broken, just a little empty. Well, he supposed that made him broken if only just a little. But he was fine. As fine as someone who couldn’t feel and just got backhanded could be.

He pulled himself from his thoughts as he felt Lady Goddess’s hands inching up, her fingers applying firm pressure until she stopped at his temples, rubbing in precise, gentle circular motions that had him relaxing unwittingly, not realizing that he had been tensed up in the first place. Which was rather odd seeing as he felt absolutely nothing, and therefore had no reason to be tense or uncomfortable.

His features remained passive as picked up on the soft hum of goddess’s words, words that he couldn’t quite understand, whether it was because of her hushed tone or whether or not she was speaking English or Ancient Greek, he wasn’t quite sure. Slowly, _gradually_ he began to feel the strange sensation the goddess had told him about, but he forced himself to remain still because no matter how odd the sensation felt, he somehow knew it wasn’t harmful, and not because of the person who was causing the sensation to occur, but because of the way it felt.

The sensation was focused in his mind, slowly seeping into his mind sort of like the first sip of a cup of smooth, tepid tea, warming him slowly from the inside out. And with the sensation came the memories that fit perfectly into the blank spaces that he hadn’t quite realize were empty. He withheld a satisfied sigh as each memory fit perfectly into place, but even as he summoned forth the memory of his deceased sister, no emotion came forth with the memory, the one that always made him feel a pang of sadness and despair: his last moments with her.

But there was nothing. And a few minutes later after Lady Goddess’s fingers stilled on his temples, still nothing. Nothing. Nothing at all. Not so much as an inkling of disappointment, which was wrong, because he knew he was supposed to feel disappointed at the prospect of never being able to feel again. But even though the idea itself was daunting, he felt no dread. He felt _nothing_.

And when Lady Goddess removed her hands from his face, and scooted back until she was no longer pressed up against his side, he knew that whatever she had done had only worked halfway. But what _had_ she done anyway?

“You can open your eyes, Nico, I am finished.”

His eyes slid open without a moment’s hesitation, and he was met with the hopeful gaze of the goddess, her hands clasped in her lap tightly and the velvet pouch all but hidden from view. He reached up carefully, his fingers brushing over his temples lightly before he brought them into his line of sight, a slight frown marring his features as his fingers came back devoid of the substance that was on Lady Goddess’s fingers.

What was that stuff?

“Nico?”

He dropped his hand in his lap, looking up to see his frown mirrored on the goddess’s features, her lips tight with anxiety as she studied him, her eyes settling on his after a few seconds. “What did you do?” a brow lifted and after a slight pause he added, “What happened?”

The goddess paused, “No one, not even a god or goddess such as myself can fully undo the effects of the River Lethe, not even Zeus himself. The day I found you, after you had drunk from the river I…I was in your mind, attempting to stop the river’s contents from taking full effect.”

Lady Goddess spoke carefully, slowly; as if afraid that she would say something that Nico wouldn’t care for. “It worked for quite some time as you can see, but no one can completely thwart the river, and after a while without repeated precautions, the rivers effects will start to occur, slowly. I must admit though that I wasn’t helping things by…by _influencing_ you to bend to my will. I sped up the process, and that is probably the reason why you had felt no emotion. Because while I was influencing you I had one thought in mind; I wanted you to be the perfect assassin. And the perfect assassin is never affected by their feelings.”

She rushed on, a brows drawn tightly together. “I truly did not mean to—”

“It’s fine. I’m all right now, and that’s all that matters.” He forced a small smile for a reassuring affect, feeling somewhat satisfied when the goddess seemed to deflate with relief, a smile stealing over her features as she reached out to pat his knee.

“Of course you are, demigod; I had no doubts that my methods wouldn’t work.”

Nico laughed, feeling it was appropriate for the statement, as well as the irony of the situation. “So am I correct to say that concern that was so thick in the air earlier was for, I don’t know, the mess you’ll have to finish cleaning up later?”

Lady Goddess, harrumphed, a slight grin quirking up the corners of her lips as she flitted her hand around dismissively, and as Nico nonchalantly shifted, looking as if he was trying to get more comfortable on the couch, when in reality he was attempting, to get a better look at the confines of her lap, he kept his face impressively blank as he found that the velvet pouch was no longer there.

“Consider it done,” she said, the flick of her wrist accompanied by the soft sound of things moving within the other rooms of the suite. “Now come here, half-blood.”

Nico scooted closer to her upon request, barely anticipating the arms that suddenly surrounded him. “I am so sorry, demigod,” Lady Goddess murmured into his hair, and he wasn’t quite sure what she was apologizing for: the way she had been treating him lately, the fact that she had struck him, her constant mood swings, or for nearly making him lose himself intentionally or unintentionally. Maybe she was apologizing for everything.

Her now chipper voice fell on deaf ears as she tightened her arms around him, excitement evident in her tone as she listed off the new teachings she had come up with for him. But at that moment, he didn’t care. He couldn’t be concerned because when he had told her that everything was all right, the fact that he still couldn’t feel wasn’t the only thing he left out.

He hadn’t told her that the only way he was able to feel was if he summoned up an image of those eyes that haunted his every waking moment. And that was a secret he would keep to himself for as long as he was able.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed you all's wonderful, wonderful feedback, so please feel free to showering me comments, questions, concerns, statements, etc. [ ;  
> Now, I can't promise that the next chapter will be up anytime soon seeing as it's the end of the year, and you all know that means that I have to focus on this horrible thing called EXAMS! But I will try my hardest to keep things moving as quickly as possible. And by the wayyy, I'm proud to say that I've been working on developing other stories and such, so hopefully those will be ready for reading by the time I finish up with this fic.  
> Also I made a Tumblr for any of you who are interested. It's currently a work in progress considering I'm fairly new to the site, but I'll probably be giving updates on how the chapters are coming along, and maybe little excerpts from future chapters. And here it is: moment-for-life.tumblr.com  
> Follow me and such, and I'll be sure to follow you back.  
> All right, thanks for reading as always, luff you alls. ; *


	31. A Little Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bear with me for a little while longer.

Guys, I know you all are probably really disappointed to see that this isn't an update, but I've really waited too long to put out any information on the story and it's progress, so here it is.

 

First, let me go ahead and put out there that I'm not giving up on this story. Helllllll no, this story is my baby, and I'll finish it no matter what. Being that that's out of the way, let me just explain why it's been taking me so long to actually get an update out.

 

Initially I was struggling with writer's block trying to get the thirty-first chapter out, and I'll admit that it hasn't been smooth sailing, but it's going pretty well now, even though the chapter is more than likely going to be long as hell. The issue with that chapter was that I kept putting off a really important scene, accidentally, because I just kept adding more and more buildup, and I know that if I don't put it in this chapter, you guys are just going to have like three chapters of buildup to a very important point.

 

So here's where I'm at right now.

 

I'm writing as much as I can between school, which is really hard, because I've got a lot on my plate right now, but hey, I'm still persevering! Right now, I'm in the process of rewriting the story.  _The whole entire thing._ No chapter is remaining untouched. My initial plan was to rewrite maybe the first five chapters and upload them with the thirty-first chapter, but that idea has been scrapped. Because this shit is baaaaaaad.

 

I just got done with reading through the whole story, and guys, you people are so wonderful for giving the story any love at all, because I can barely get through this without banging my head on the table. So initial idea of rewriting maybe the first fifteen chapters is gone too, because oh gosh I'm dying. This whoooole thing needs to be rewritten.

 

My plan during the summer was to rewrite the whole story in like a week, then post chapter thirty-one along with it. But I underestimated the size and content of the story, obviously, because it's January the 8th, 2017, and I still don't have a dang thing out. My dilemma with that is that a lot of things are going to change in the chapters that I'll be including in future chapters, so it would be pretty crucial that you guys and gals read the new and improved chapters before the fresh off the page chapters.

 

So that's where I'm stuck right now, because revisions are taking a lot longer than I expected, but I really want you guys to get all of the new chapters at once so you guys can just read it in one go.

 

Alright, so if you guys have any ideas on how I should push these chapters out, I would really, really appreciate it.

 

Thank to all soooo much for sticking with this story for so long, it means so much. So hopefully, the next time you all get an update it'll be chapter thirty-one and the new revisions! Thanks so much for your patience.

 

\--When I post chapter 31, this chapter WILL be deleted and reposted so that any of you who are subscribed to this will get an email notification! [ :


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